


Fragile Bird

by GeneHarlow



Category: Bates Motel (2013)
Genre: Angst, F/M, Married Life, Past Sexual Abuse, Sexual Content
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-17
Updated: 2017-09-22
Packaged: 2018-06-08 23:07:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 38
Words: 116,590
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6878524
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GeneHarlow/pseuds/GeneHarlow
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Alex Romero is everything Norma Bates had ever wanted in a husband. So why can't she stop manipulating and antagonising him? Why can't she just let go of all the bad things that have happened to her, and let herself trust him? (No explicit descriptions of rape - Just occasional hints of previous sexual abuse. Tagged just in case.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. First Time

Alex Romero had kissed Norma Bates a grand total of four times. The first was on their wedding day, and he had smiled against her mouth as she had leaned into him to deepen the kiss, just as he had pulled away. The second was a mere ten minutes later, after all the paperwork had been signed and she was officially his (on paper anyway).

"It has to look real." He had said, after suggesting he should move in with her. A small voice in his head reminded him that the town's entire economy had been the drug trade for decades, and that no-one would care about a fake marriage, but he ignored it, continuing to push when she looked hesitant.

"Don't make me regret doing this." He was being a dick and he didn't know why, but she was agreeing before he could figure it out, and he suppressed the small smile that tugged at his lips at the idea of moving in with Norma Bates. Casting a conspicuously shifty glance up the steps behind her, he swooped in to press a brief press against her lips, as if the whole town were waiting for their show. It would only take her glancing over her shoulder to realise that there were precisely zero people watching them, but thankfully she was too shell-shocked to notice and he stalked away before she could react.

The third time he had kissed her, he had meant it. And he suspected, she hadn't. All he had wanted to do was somehow find the right words to make everything ok again, but talking had never been his strong suit and he found himself at a loss.

"He's an eighteen year old kid." -Who you were afraid of. Who lost his mind. Who was found cornering you in your basement with a gun in his hand. Who scares even me sometimes. He left all of that unsaid.

"He's mad right now. He's gonna get over it." He said, immediately cursing how pathetic the words sounded now he had said them outloud. Like she had taken away Norman's car keys or told him he couldn't go to a party, not committed him to a mental asylum.

"It's so scary." Her voice broke as she folded herself into his arms, like she had done it a thousand times.

She's not really your wife. She's just using you. The spiteful voice in his head told him. He tried to ignore it.

Once again, his words felt weak and useless so he let his hands say what he couldn't, pulling her as close to him as possible, his fingers resting on the back of her neck, moulding her to him.

Don't get used to this. It won't last. Said that voice again, just as Norma's nose brushed against his, close enough to feel the wetness of her tears on his skin. The atmosphere changed abruptly and he froze, trying to keep up with the ever changing moods of Norma Louise Bates. He stayed perfectly still, not wanting to spook her, desperately trying to figure out what the right thing to do was, as her lips inched closer and closer to his.

They made tentative contact, and he resolved to kiss her back for only a moment. She was hurting and just needed to be close to someone right now. The kiss was soft and not unlike the first kiss they'd ever had, their first kiss as man and wife only a day before, and in that span of maybe three seconds, he made a plan - a definitive plan that he would not deviate from. He would kiss her back softly, then press a kiss against her forehead and fold her up in his arms for another hug. She would be comforted, and no lines would be crossed. Maybe he would make her a cup of tea after that, he thought idly to himself, trying to ignore the feel of her insistent press of her lips against his.

Alex didn't know why the feel of her hand grasping at the side of her face made him instantly forget the plan, but it did. One minute he was barely kissing her back, the next he felt her hand grasping at his jaw and he could do nothing but kiss her the way he had wanted to kiss her for months, the way he had nearly kissed her that night they had fought at his house. She'd been crying then too, he thought, the salty taste of her tears on his lips reminded him and he pulled back sharply.

"I don't think we should do this." He said unconvincingly.

"I wanna do this." She whispered back breathlessly, winding an arm round his neck, pulling her flush against him. The move reminded him of the calculated vulnerable little sex kitten act he'd seen her pull with other men, one he knew she used often.

"Don't play with me." He said without thinking. He didn't want to be just another man that Norma Bates used to her advantage. He wanted to be more than that.

"I'm not. I'm not..." She breathed, her fingers toying with the hair at the back of his neck, her breasts heaving against his chest.

All it took was the feeling of the cold metal of her wedding ring brushing against his neck and a muttered assurance that she was sure she wanted to do this "right now" for his resolve to break, and it was all he could do not to take her against the doorframe right then and there. He finally kissed her back the way he wanted to, his tongue sweeping into her mouth, his fingers tangling into her hair, finally letting go of the tension and relaxing his body into hers. Sighing into his mouth, she pulled back a little, as if she were going to lean back against the doorframe and Alex knew he would not be able to resist if she did, so he reached down suddenly and swept her legs out from under her, determined to make it to the bedroom.

She was light as a feather in his arms, but he still marvelled at the speed his 47 year old body reached as he took the steep stairs two at a time, only slowing on the last few steps when he remembered how precious the cargo in his arms was. Nothing like falling down the stairs to kill the mood.

Trying to ignore the way her teeth were nipping at his earlobe, he kicked open the door to his room, taking a deep breath to steady himself as he jerked his ear away from her ministrations. He smiled down at her, and she smiled dreamily back at him as he gave the underside of her knee a reassuring squeeze.

"Mrs Romero," he said pointedly, taking a very deliberate step across the threshold of the room.

The smile on her lips faltered for only a second, before she wriggled slightly, motioning for him to put her down. Setting her gently on her feet, he wondered if he hadn't spoilt the mood, watching as she smoothed down her dress for a moment, her gaze cast to the floor.

She sniffled softly, before casting her eyes back up at him, a predatory glint now sparkling there.

"I told you, Sheriff Romero. I'm keeping my name." She murmured huskily, her hands reaching up for him once again. She kissed him hungrily, all the tentativeness of their encounter downstairs now forgotten, pushing her body insistently against his, her hands working his shirt buttons open before he could properly react.

He was slammed back against the doorframe before he knew it, and he jerked his head back to glance at her questioningly, her only reply a dangerous smirk as her hands deftly unbuckled his belt buckle. Something had changed as they had crossed the threshold to this room, and only Norma seemed to know what. And she showed no signs of letting him in on this abrupt atmosphere change as she slipped her hand into his open jeans, grasping him firmly, her mouth still moving aggressively against his. He gasped into her mouth, his grip on the tops of her arms tightening, as he felt her smile triumphantly, her fingers moving over him through his boxers.

His mind blurring at the feel of her hand on him, he moved his own hands from where they were gripping her arms tightly to the buttons on her neat shirt dress, repressing the urge to rip the prim little thing right off her. His fingers trembled as he fumbled to undo the top few buttons, growling quietly as he encountered a skinny little belt with the tiniest clasp he'd ever seen. He broke the kiss for a moment to gaze at it with undisguised frustration as he struggled to get it undone, trying not to be distracted by the glimpse of black lace that was peeking out from the top half of the dress that he had managed to successfully un-do.

She let him fumble with the belt for a moment more, her fingers tightening as they increased their pace, making him lose concentration once more.

"Wai-" He started to say, tugging pointedly at the little strip of black leather before she cut him with an irritated sigh.

"Leave it." She murmured. He glanced at her questioningly, his hand grabbing hers suddenly, stopping her movements before this was over before it had begun. "Leave it on." She breathed out huskily, jerking her head down towards the offending belt. Later on, he would wonder why she didn't just undo the belt herself. Later on, it would haunt him that she didn't want to take her dress off in front of him, that she would only offer him that tantalising glimpse of her cleavage peeking out from the open top of that damn shirt dress, when she could have undone that stupid belt in a heartbeat and been bare to him in a heartbeat more. But before he could wonder any of this, she was snaking her hands under her dress, hooking her thumbs into her underwear and bending down to slip them off, never breaking eye contact with him. She didn't stop when she reached her ankles, her knees following her underwear to the ground, sinking to the floor in front of him, glancing up coyly at him from under her lashes.

He could only stare down at her, frozen in shock, as she grasped the waistband of his jeans, pulling them down in one swift move, her face mere centimetres from where his erection was now straining painfully against his boxers. She was close enough that he could feel her breath, hot and heavy through the thin fabric of his boxers before he snapped, reaching out and grabbing her face to stop her suddenly. The abrupt move made her jump, her eyes immediately fluttering shut and, for a second, he wanted to die for making her flinch like that.

"Sorry," he panted out. "Sorry." His thumbs stroked her cheeks tenderly. "I just... I don't want you to-"

"Ok." She cut him off, rising to her feet suddenly, her turn to make him jump this time.

"It's not that I-" He started, feeling mortified that he might have offended her. She avoided his eye contact, and he realised he couldn't remember the last time sex had been this awkward. Was he really that out of practice? She was still looking at the floor, chewing her lip nervously and for a second, he just wanted to call the whole thing off. Sex with Norma Bates was nothing like he had imagined, and he realised that was as much his fault as hers, for putting her on some kind of pedestal. He had wanted too undress her slowly, take his time with her, make love to her. This was aggressive and strange and he couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't right. She glanced up at him, and something in her expression changed, like she could read his mind and he flushed, terrified she was going to cry.

"Norma I-"

"I want you." She mumbled, suddenly launching herself at him, her weight sending them both sprawling to the bed. Her teeth bumped against his as she kissed him ferociously, her hands tangling roughly in his hair, rubbing her body wantonly against his. His doubts now soothed, his hands grasped at her, sliding up the backs of her legs, which were now straddling his hips, pushing her dress up as he went. She swallowed his gasp when his hands settled on her bare ass, forgetting she had already taken her underwear off. She let out a soft chuckle that sounded cold and hollow to Romero's ears but he was too far gone to care now though, lost in the feeling of her grinding herself against his erection, his hands kneading into her soft flesh, urging her on.

He flipped them suddenly, rolling her underneath him, trying to regain some semblance of control of the situation. She let out a shrill squeak of surprise, an unreadable expression crossing her face for a moment before she kissed him again, battling to gain the upper hand again. Romero wasn't going to give in so easily though, as he kissed a sloppy path down her jaw, along her neck and let his teeth lightly graze her earlobe. She let out a soft, involuntary hiss and bucked her body up against him, and Romero smiled at her genuine reaction before licking the shell of her ear, his hand trailing along her thigh, towards it's destination.

"I want to taste you." He whispered sexily, expecting a shiver or a gasp at his words, surprised when he was rewarded with a noise that sounded almost like an exasperated sigh. His hand on her thigh stilled, mere inches away from her core.

"Just..." She floundered for a moment, his face still pressed against her neck. Her hands found the sides of his boxers and were pushing them down before she could verbalise the rest of her thought. "Just..." She sounded flustered, irritated almost as her feet slid along his legs to hook her toes into his boxers to pull them down the rest of the way.

"I want you to.." She seemed distressed almost, her hands grabbing at him desperately, trying to pull him against her, her fingers clawing to pull her dress up around her hips, and for a moment, he was torn. He was finding the whole situation very confusing, and wanted nothing more than to just slow down and make sure she was ok, but was also loathed to stop and deny her what she seemed to so desperately want. Her eagerness should be flattering, but something about it made him pause. Nothing about this felt right, but as he felt her thighs open up even more to him, and her mouth sucked hard on his neck, no doubt leaving a bruise to mark her territory for all the women he had mentioned the other night to see, he felt his misgivings melt away.

"Just... fuck me. Please." She whispered, and he didn't dare look into her eyes, because he selfishly didn't want to see anything that might make him want to stop. He had never denied Norma Bates anything and he wasn't going to start now, so he buried his face in her hair, and pushed into her with one smooth thrust.

She grunted, and he pulled back to look at her before he could stop himself, taking in the way her head had dropped to the side, her eyes fluttered closed, her brow lightly furrowed, her lips pressed together in a tight line.

"You ok?" He panted out, stilling his movements.

Her eyes flew open, focusing on the wall for a second before her head snapped back to him, a tight smile plastered across her face.

"Mm hm," she murmured brightly, nodding.

Unconvinced, Alex let out a sigh, and moved to pull out of her, when her hands shot out to clutch at the sides of the shirt he was still wearing, stopping his movements.

"Don't-" She started, as she hooked her legs behind his. Squeezing her thighs to urge him on, he reluctantly slid back into her, as gently as he could.

"Ohhhh," she breathed out, letting her head drop back against the pillow.

His concerned expression softened slightly as he watched her face, slowly thrusting out and in once more as gently as he could. His fingers clutched at his shoulders, her thighs coming up to rest either side of his hips as she let out another soft moan. He let his head drop to her shoulder as he continued to move as gently as he could bear for a few more thrusts.

"Oh Alex." She breathed out against his ear, soft and breathy and just like she knew he wanted to hear. "More."

He pushed into her more insistently and she mewled softly in the back of her throat, a noise she had first learned men had liked with her first husband.

"Harder." She panted out, her eyes glued to the ceiling. Romero obliged, like he always did, pressing her body harder into the mattress with every thrust, his hand squeezing the side of her hip, the other tangling in her hair.

"You good?" He murmured against her cheek and the question was so innocent, so full of hopeful expectation and genuine concern that she could have cried there and then, answering only with a shrill sob sound because she didn't trust herself to speak.

His movements grew more frenzied, more erratic, and she could feel the trembling tension in the muscles in his back. She knew what he wanted. Not all men were bothered, but she knew Romero would be One Of Those Guys, and she almost rolled her eyes at the sadness of it all, thinking how different things could be, if only she wasn't like this, and her life hadn't been like this, and she knew a different way to show gratitude to the only man who had never tried to take what she wanted to give him for real.

Staring blankly at the wall, she dug her fingers into his shoulders as hard as she could, letting a string of strangled moans, breathless sighs and "Oh God!"s tumble from her lips. Feeling him smile proudly against her neck, she hated herself for not letting him just make her feel the way he thought he was.

Why can't you let go? Why can't you let yourself be vulnerable with this? You can trust him.

The last one you trusted tore your clothes off you and gave you Dylan, said that bitter voice in her head, the ugly one that said the things she didn't want to think about. She pushed the thought away.

"Oh! Alex!" She screamed, finishing her performance piece with the deliberate use of his name. It had the intended effect, and he shuddered in her arms, groaning as he shivered his way through his last few erratic thrusts, eventually going limp on top of her, using the last of his strength to hold the majority of his weight off her. She wished he'd selfishly collapsed on her, she wished he would keep his weight on her until she could barely breathe, and then roll over and go to sleep, because then she would be proved right and she would feel better about herself. But he didn't. He kept his weight off, and took a few deep breaths, laughing happily into her hair, before pulling back and peppering her whole face with soft kisses, kisses she didn't deserve.

He brushed an errant tendril of hair from her eyes, frowning down at the lost expression on her face.

"You ok?" He meant it. He genuinely cared if she was ok. She hated him. She hated herself.

"I..." She started, not sure what she wanted to say. She smiled helplessly up at him, lost for words.

He mistook it for elation.

"Me too." He admitted, smiling at her again, before kissing her, sweetly and gently. He rolled off her but kept his arms wrapped round her and for a second, Norma forgot about everything and just wanted to sleep, safe and protected in the arms of her husband, and pretend she was just a normal wife. But she glanced down before she could stop herself, and remembered who she was. Her shirt was splayed open, one shoulder pulled halfway down her arm, her skirt was bunched up around her waist, and she still had her boots on. Romero's boxers were down by the foot of the bed, his shirt was still on, just hanging undone and a little creased now. His mouth was smeared with her lipstick and there was a hickey blossoming just under his jaw. A hickey! She was a grown adult woman, giving someone a hickey! She tried to remember the last time she had actually given someone a hickey, feeling ridiculous as she stared at the small bruise, before realising it had probably been Caleb, during one of their last desperate teenage fumbles.

The thought made a physical pain bloom in her chest and for a second she thought she might be sick as the memory washed over her. She sat up abruptly, pushing his hands off her, taking a deep breath as she swung her legs over the side of the bed.

"Norma?" He was at her side in an instant, wrapping his arm around her shoulder.

"What's wrong? Did I-?" She cut off whatever he was about to ask before he could even verbalise it. He had done nothing wrong.

"No. No. I'm fine. I-" She turned to look at him, biting her lip when she made eye contact with him to stop every thought and feeling she was having tumbling out of her mouth.

"It's just... It's just alot, ya know." She offered vaguely, smiling softly at him and shrugging.

He nodded solemnly.

"Yeah."

The silence stretched on for a moment too long.

"Alex?" She started timidly. "Please don't take this the wrong way, but.. I... I'm going to go and sleep in my room."

His face crumpled for a second.

"No, no!" She brought her hands up to cup his face, making him look at her. Please don't hate me, she thought, I just can't sleep here because I need to cry for at least an hour and I can't explain why to you. "It's not you. I just... This is alot." She repeated her sentiment from earlier. "It's alot. And it's great but I... I need a little bit of space."

There was a pause, where Alex looked like he didn't believe her, like he could see right through her and he knew she was a mess and he wanted to fix her and he didn't know how, but then he smiled softly at her.

"Is that ok?" She asked shyly.

"Of course. I understand." He looked like he didn't understand at all.

"It's your house... I get it." He gallantly managed to keep any trace of bitterness out of his words. "Go, sleep, take some time. I'll see you tomorrow." He kissed her on the forehead, and Norma sprang up before he could see the tears that threatened to fall from her eyes, wrapping her shirt dress tightly around herself.

"Oh!" She paused in the doorway, her back to him. "What do you like for breakfast?"

He chuckled.

"I'll eat anything. Like I said, I'm an easy room-mate."

She said nothing, just made a move to close the door behind her.

"Goodnight Mrs Romero."

She didn't make it another step before the tears began to fall, and they didn't stop till twenty minutes before she started cooking every breakfast food in her kitchen.


	2. The Morning After

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to everyone who responded to this story - I'm so glad you enjoyed that rather dark opening chapter. Just a short chapter this time, setting up for a longer one next time.

The fourth time Alex kissed Norma was the morning after their night together, with Norma swirling around her kitchen, making him breakfast, talking a mile a minute about nothing at all. Tension hung heavy in the air around them as he watched her dart around the kitchen, looking everywhere but at him. He stayed still, like a predator, waiting for her to slow down and move close enough to him that he could reach for her, stopping her in her tracks.

They made eye contact for the first time, and stared at each other for a long time, both with no idea what the other was thinking.

"I'm not sorry about what happened."

His fingers curled around her hip, lightly holding her there, stopping her from squirming away from his intense gaze.

"Ok. I'm not either." Her eyes darted wildly around the room, as she tried to figure out if she was lying or not. She wasn't sorry she had slept with him, but she was sorry that she was the way she was - She was sorry she couldn't trust him, and she couldn't bring herself to sleep in the same bed as him because sharing a bed with a man gave her crippling nightmares that she wasn't ready to explain to him.

Eventually the intensity of his scrutiny became unbearable and she could no longer look away, her eyes meeting his.

She was kissing him before she knew what she was doing. She didn't know why she had done it. He was just so close to her, and he was looking at her like she was his everything and she just wanted to close her eyes and not have him gaze at her so adoringly. So she had grasped the tops of his arms and raised herself up on her tiptoes to kiss him ferociously, only pulling back when he leaned his hips against hers, pressing her against the counter. She pulled away with a gasp.

"I can't do this." She offered him a tight smile. "It's too much."

She had expected him to be angry, or at the very least mildly annoyed. She had expected him to ignore her, to keep pushing it, or to stab at his breakfast with barely disguised irritation, glaring at her over his coffee cup.

"Ok ok." He whispered lightly, immediately stepping out of her personal space, and obediently sitting down to eat his breakfast. She was surprised, but didn't let it show, as she scooped another layer of food onto his already overfull plate. This was how she showed she cared. Cooking for someone was safe and she couldn't get hurt, but she could still show him she cared like this. She gazed at him from over her coffee cup, hoping he understood that.

He was wittering on about joint checking accounts, while she barely listened. She had no money to put into a joint checking account, but Romero thought it was a good idea so she would go along with it.

"-Make it look more real." She tried to suppress how much those words hurt her. It's fine, the voice in her head said. It's fake. You knew that already.

"It might be a good idea if we showed up together to the winter thing tonight?"

"What winter thing?"

"You know, downtown with all the lights and stuff."

She smiled warmly at him as he tried to explain the festival like only a man could.

"Wanna come with me?"

Her heart soared at the idea of going with him to some romantic evening full of twinkly lights. But that wasn't her life.

"I think that's a good... public place..."

Right. Public place. So they could be seen together. Because this wasn't real.

"Erm. Maybe. I was going to go and visit Emma today, so..."

"Oh. Right. Sure." His reply was clipped, like he was disappointed.

"I mean, she's doing better every day and I haven't had chance to see her yet."

"No, no. Of course." His tone softened as he turned away from her. "Yeah, you should go."

There was a long pause where he carried on eating, and Norma took a long sip of her coffee to buy herself a moment to think. He seemed genuinely disappointed that she wasn't going with him. Maybe it was more than just being seen together. Maybe he really wanted her to go with him?

"I might be back in time..." She ventured, smiling as he turned round to face her again, beaming.

"Great!"

"I mean, no promises, but I'll try my best."

He said nothing, just shovelled the last few mouthfuls of his breakfast into his mouth before standing up and grabbing his jacket.

"Great. Maybe see you there then." He got halfway to the door, a smile still playing on his lips, before turning back to plant a lingering kiss on her cheek.

"Have a good day. Give Emma my best."

And with that, he was gone, leaving a slightly shell-shocked Norma standing in her kitchen, not sure what they were doing any more.

Norma had no intention of going to the winter festival. At least that was what she told herself, but as her time with Emma drew on, she found herself glancing at the clock, mentally working out how long it would take her to get home. If Emma noticed, or was at all offended by it, she didn't let on, instead pressing Norma to "take some time for herself" now that Norman was getting the help she needed. She was never sure if Emma could somehow read her mind, or if she was just incredibly wise, but she always seemed to say exactly what Norma needed to hear.

"It's the winter festival tonight right?" Emma said thoughtfully, looking at Norma in that way where it seemed like she was looking right into her mind.

Norma jumped at the mention, immediately feeling guilty for glancing at the clock again.

"Er.. yeah? I think it might be." She nodded, glancing around the room as if she had clear forgotten.

"You should go. You'll only just make it back in time."

"What? No, Emma. I'm here... with you. I don't-"

"Norma." She interrupted her softly, placing her hand over hers.

"Its ok. Dylan filled me in on what's happening."

Norma's face flushed, as the ridiculousness of the situation and images of last night flitted through her head.

"Oh... Well. It's all very... complicated."

"Does it have to be?" Emma asked, solemnly in that way where she asked a simple question and seemed to answer it all in one go.

Norma took a deep breath, but found herself without a response, so she just accepted Emma's reassuring hand squeeze and smiled back gratefully.

"Now go! They always run out of funnel cake early."


	3. The Winter Festival

Norma spend an absurd amount of time getting ready for the winter festival. Especially absurd considering she then had to add a coat to the outfit, that covered up the dress she had spent 45 minutes choosing. She had applied red lipstick three times before wiping it off, deeming it entirely too much for the occasion. She had growled in frustration at her curling iron, as she tried to get the short curls to frame her face exactly how she wanted them. Expensive perfume had been dabbed and dotted in crucial places, and her underwear matched her prettiest coat, the impractical one with the furry cuffs and collar.

Stepping out of her car, Norma wasn't sure what she had expected but it wasn't this. A canopy of twinkling lights had been set up, and delicious smells wafted towards her from where a crowd of people were eating and drinking and dancing. General sounds of merriment drifted over to her, and for a moment, Norma decided that she was just happy to be here, despite all the complications with her... "marriage."

Her heels clicked along the rain soaked sidewalk as she made her way over to the thick of the crowd, her eyes scanning the throngs of people for Alex's face. Her eyes eventually landed on him, standing on the outskirts of the other side of the event, where she could only just make him out. She waved, immediately feeling calmer now she had seen him, but he didn't see her, engrossed in conversation with someone Norma couldn't quite make out.

"Ooh. Excuse me. Pardon me. Thanks." Norma started pushing her way through the crowd, making a mental note to grab a hot toddy later on, as she passed a stall that smelled like christmas.

"Oops, excuse me." She trilled, as she bumped into someone, her hair momentarily tangling in their light-adorned umbrella, something she desperately wanted now she spotted how many people had them. A dreamy image of her and Alex slow dancing, while she twirled a fabulous whimsical umbrella flashed through her head, as she smoothed her hair back out, her eyes seeking Alex out again.

She frowned as she could finally make out who he was talking to - a pretty red head who kept leaning in and giggling girlishly at him. To his credit, Alex looked annoyed more than anything at the woman's advances, his arms crossed defensively across his chest, and Norma felt a swell of pride in her chest, as she continued pushing her way towards him.

Her eyes trained on him, she was only a few feet away, preparing to shout his name, when the atmosphere between him and the redheaded woman changed abruptly and Norma stopped in her tracks.

She watched as his hand shot out to grasp the woman's elbow roughly, his eyes flashing dark with either anger or passion, Norma couldn't quite tell. The woman laughed brightly, reaching up on her tip toes to whisper something in his ear, as Norma stopped dead in the middle of the makeshift dancefloor. Softly swaying couples bumped into her as she watched Alex talk to the woman, still too far away to make out anything that they were saying, but it was obvious they were quite close from the way his hand stayed glued to her arm and she leaned up to speak close in his ear, her body brushing against his. Norma's vision went blurry as unwelcome tears sprung to her eyes before she could stop them.

They're just talking, she told herself. He hasn't done anything wrong.

She was almost convinced, until Alex looked around, over his shoulder like he could sense her there, and she ducked on reflex, twisting out of sight behind a tall, spinning couple. Peeking out, she watched him glance all around shiftily, before digging his fingers into the woman's arm, dragging her away from the lights and the music and the crowds.

Norma didn't want to know where he was taking her. She didn't want to know who the woman was, or how long it had been going on, or what they were heading to do, but her traitorous feet had other ideas, and she was surreptitiously following them before she could convince herself not to. She watched from a distance until they rounded a corner, him clearly dragging the somewhat unwillingly-looking woman along, down a dark alleyway, away from the lights and the merriment.

Norma walked on tiptoes as she recognised his voice from just around the bend, along with the softer sound of the woman's voice. She still couldn't make out what they were saying, and she wasn't sure she wanted to - She just wanted to see them, to witness it with her own eyes so she could convince herself that Alex was just like all the rest.

Peeking round the edge of the brick wall, her eyes trying to get used to the gloom after the bright twinkly lights of the festival, Norma watched just as Alex gripped the woman's arms, slamming her back against the wall with a force that he had never shown to her. A breathless squeak escaped the woman's mouth and through the gloom, Norma could just make out the woman's triumphant grin, before deciding she'd seen enough.

"Oh Sheriff." The woman whispered, mockingly, as Norma turned and stalked away, feeling sick to her stomach. There it was. She had seen it with her own eyes. And it was as expected. Alex was just like the rest. She wasn't surprised. How could she be, when this was all she had ever known from men? Then why did she feel so devastated, her mind replaying the moment he had pressed her against the wall when they had been arguing that night at his house, comparing it with what she had just seen. She was just one of his women.

She was back at her car before she knew how her numb feet had gotten her there, and she paused, glancing back to the festival, before making a decision and turning back.

"One hot toddy please." She said decisively, taking the drink from the smiling woman's hand and downing it in one, not caring that it was about 50 degrees too hot to drink and apparently mostly whiskey. She coughed and screwed up her face, wiping her mouth on her fluffy cuff, before setting the polystyrene cup down on the counter and staring at the woman with a defiant gaze.

"One more. Hit me." Her eyes narrowed as the cheerful woman hesitated, her smile faltering slightly, before she poured the drink and handed it to her hastily, like Norma might bite her hand off.

"Thanks." Norma downed the second one, prepared for the burn this time, before reaching for her purse to pay the woman.

"Oh no. These are on us." The woman trilled happily, apparently ignoring Norma's strange behaviour.

Norma frowned, confused for a moment, before the woman reached out and patted her hand.

"Congratulations on the nuptials. We've all been hoping the Sheriff would settle down for some time now."

Norma glared at her for a moment, before rearranging her face into what she hoped was a smile.

"Oh. Uh... Thanks."

She turned away before the woman could say one more well-meaning word.

"Goodnight, Mrs Romero!" The woman shouted after her, and it was all Norma could do not to turn back and choke her. She didn't though. She was a married woman now. With a sense of decorum. So she stalked away without another word, waited till she was far enough away that no-one was watching her, and then kicked over a trash can, screaming in frustration.

The whiskey and the heat of the drinks and the hot sting of betrayal burned in her stomach and she half hoped she would get pulled over on the way home, just so that the Sheriff would have another problem to cover up.

She didn't though. She stuck to the speed limit, and belted out Fleetwood Mac and dissolved into tears about halfway home and stumbled into bed before the hot toddys could wear off and she had to really think about the last twenty four hours.


	4. Chapter 4

"I missed you last night."

Her coffee cup clattered as she accidentally dropped it into the sink, stunned at his choice of words. The words momentarily softened her, her stony façade melting a little, before she toughened up again. "Missed" her? During which part? While he waited for her? Or while he was slamming pretty women against walls?

She picked up her cup, washing it with more force than was necessary.

"Oh.. Yeah. The festival. I forgot." She lied easily, glancing over her shoulder to watch his face fall. His expression of pure disappointment didn't make her feel as good as she thought it would.

"How was it? Any town scandals?" She asked lightly.

"It was... fine. These town events are all the same." He said, the disappointment seeping into his voice.

All the same? So he drags girls into alleyways at every town event? Wow.

"The lights were... nice though." He added quietly. "I wish you could have seen them."

He sounded genuinely sad that she hadn't seen it and it made her angrier for some reason, so she slammed her hands into the sink, sending a spray of bubbles and water across the surfaces.

"Well, I'm so sorry that Emma's surgery came at such an inconvenient time. Next time I'll ask her to have her lungs sliced out on a day that leaves me available to play the good little wife whenever you need me."

Glaring out of the window, she immediately wished she hadn't said anything because there was no way to explain why she was so angry.

She jumped at the sound of his coffee cup being angrily slammed down on the table, the sound recalling a thousand times Sam had started an argument with the same movement.

Suddenly arms were winding around her waist, pulling her back against him and she relaxed into them, more out of surprise than anything. She hadn't heard him move until he was right behind her.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing." She answered automatically.

He rested his chin on her shoulder, his arms wrapping all the way round her, and it was all too comfortable and over familiar and Norma never wanted him to let go.

"What's wrong?" He repeatedly insistently, pressing a kiss against her shoulder through her shirt.

"I just..." She wanted to tell him what she had seen last night, wanted to tell him all the thoughts and doubts and fears that plagued her, but she bit her lip instead, letting out a shaky breath before she carried on. "Everything's just too much. There's so much happening... with Norman." She felt him stiffen slightly at Norman's name. "And just everything. It's too much. Do you understand?" She squeezed his forearms pointedly and tugged them slightly so he let go of her, never shifting her gaze from where it was fixed on nothing out the window.

"Yes." He choked out, sounded broken, releasing her immediately, but not moving away straight away. She didn't dare turn her head to look at him, for fear her fragile resolve would be broken. "Yeah," he carried on a little stronger now. "I understand, Norma."

He sounded so sad, she almost turned around and kissed him there and then, but then he stepped back, and she immediately missed the warmth of his body against her back.

She span round slowly, noting that he had crossed back to the safety of the other side of the kitchen, examining his cup to check if he had cracked it when he had slammed it down. Really, he was just avoiding her gaze, and she did the same, casting her eyes down to the floor as she leaned against the sink.

"Thank you-" She started quietly.

"No problem, Norma." He said formally, before grabbing his jacket, and taking a step towards her, before thinking better of it. "Have a good day." And then he left, and Norma tried to congratulate herself for stopping something unhealthy before it had even started. But she just felt empty, her cheek cold, strangely missing that sweet little kiss on the cheek she had become so used to.

* * *

Married life proved to be rather uneventful for Sheriff and Mrs Romero. She made him breakfast most days, they ate together awkwardly, they spent their days apart and then she made him dinner. She grew to look forward to their daily dinners, when the awkwardness of breakfast had dissipated, and they were both tired and worn from their days - They both let their guard down a little and for a moment, Norma could pretend it was like the good old days. They chit-chatted, always keeping the conversation light, and she would give him a hard time about something or other, and he would let her, and they would catch each other smiling warmly at one another, before they realised what they were doing, and then he would get up hastily and clear the table. She had resisted at first, but he had argued that if she was going to do everything else around the house, the least he could do was clean up after dinner. She had agreed, because no-one had ever offered before, except Norman, and thinking of Norman made her heart hurt, so she let him wash up, keeping an appraising eye on him in case he cleaned something not to her liking.

"Did you have a chance to look at those papers?" She asked, one night, weeks after they had settled into their routine.

He sighed.

"No. I'm sorry Norma. I'll look tomorrow."

"Oh, well, I have them right here. Maybe you could just look at them real quick right-."

He put his fork down with a clatter that made her jump.

"Norma." He said, her name a warning on his lips. "Just..." He sighed again, his eyes narrowing at the stack of forms in her hands. "I had a long day, ok? I'll look at them tomorrow."

There was a long pause, where she just looked slowly from the papers in her hand, to his face and then back to her plate.

"The insurance company said they needed it sorting soon." She ventured quietly, in a voice that would be mistaken for meek by anyone who didn't know her. Alex knew better.

"You said you'd read it days ago. It just needs a couple of signatures. I just- If the insurance doesn't come into effect soon, Norman could lose his place at Pineview and-"

"That's not a problem." He cut her off, tiredness tinging his voice with irritation.

"What does that mean?"

He rubbed the bridge of his nose exasperatedly, avoiding her gaze.

"It's taken care of, Norma, ok?" He said slowly, deliberately, clearly wanting the conversation to be over. He couldn't tell her that Norman's first few months at Pineview were paid for by a stack of cash he had taken from the man he had killed for her. Bob Paris's money had bought them a few months before he had to worry about starting the arduous process of transferring his insurance to Norma and Norman Bates. And with the DEA still circling at work, making his days seem longer and fraughter than ever, he just didn't have the energy to start pouring over a stack of paperwork, not when he knew that it wasn't as pressing as she thought it was.

She rolled her eyes, slapping the stack of papers down on the table, making him flinch.

"Ok. Fine." Her tone was clipped, and she pushed her chair back abruptly before he could respond. Breaking the pattern that had been working so well for them, she grabbed her plate, dumping it in the sink before reaching for his.

"You finished?" She asked, not pausing before grabbing the half full plate of food from in front of him.

"Not really." He tried to say, but she was already scraping his food into the trash, slamming the cupboard shut with her foot while he sat there in shock.

He considered saying something, pressing her for a reason for why she was being like this, but he knew her well enough to know she would tell him any second.

He settled back in his chair, watching her slam around the kitchen with her back to him, trying to stop the smirk of amusement of watching her stomp around like an angry toddler.

She faltered for a moment, and then whirled around, and Alex fought to keep the smile off his face as she predictably turned on him.

"You know, if you didn't want to help me, you didn't have to." She started, holding a hand up to stop him interrupting when he went to speak. "I would have been just fine. I would have figured something out." She turned back to the washing up for a moment, lowering her tone. "I always do."

She wasn't finished.

Whirling around again, her hands on her hips, she fixed him with a glare that would send a lesser man scampering.

"If you weren't going to bother sorting out the insurance, why did you even marry me?"

She sounded genuinely intrigued.

"Why are we even doing this?" She added, quieter now.

Romero stood up suddenly, making her take an involuntary step back.

"Haven't I always done anything you asked?" He asked, watching as she floundered for a moment. "Jake Abernathy. Bob Paris. I even got your damn car back!" His voice increased in volume as he listed the things he had done for her.

He had expected her to concede, maybe even apologise, but that was because he didn't know her as well as he thought.

"You can't just throw a list of people you've killed in my face every time I ask you for something! It doesn't work like that!" She yelled, crossing her arms in front of her. "But, thank you again for my car. That was actually very sweet." She added, reluctantly, haughtily turning her head to the ceiling.

Sighing heavily, he took a step closer to her, noticing how she stiffened at his approach.

"You asked me to marry you Norma. And I did it." He lowered his tone, coming to stand right in front of her, right where they had stood the last time he had kissed her, the morning after their night together. "What more do you want from me?"

She fixed him with an unreadable expression, her arms still crossed defensively across her body.

"I want you to do what you said you would. I want you to read these damn papers and sign them." She jerked her head at the pile of paperwork, before glancing back at him coolly. "I kept up my end of the bargain."

He squinted at her, his eyes darting all around her face, trying to figure out what she meant. She replied with a single quirk of her eyebrow and a cold smirk and he suddenly understood, taking an involuntary step back.

_"I know you're attracted to me. I'll sleep with you. I don't care."_

Her words from the day she had proposed to him flashed through his mind, and he felt sick, taking another shaky step back.

He felt like she had used him and he had used her, somehow all at once. She watched him edge away from her with a cold façade slipped in place, not daring to let him know how much the hurt in his eyes tore her apart.

"Wow," he breathed out, chuckling coldly. "Hm." He nodded to himself, before grabbing the paperwork off the table and heading upstairs without another word.

Norma released the breath she didn't realise she had been holding, letting go of the edge of the counter, her legs trembling when she realised the counter had been holding her up. Biting her lip, she resolved not to cry, not again. She was sick of crying over Alex Romero.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for the reviews and follows for this story. One key theme is that keeps cropping up is people saying "Can't wait for it to get fluffy" and I feel I must clarify that this story has kinda snowballed away from me - I intended for it to be like, 5-7 chapters, but I've already written SOOOOO far ahead and it's SO long now! Don't get me wrong - it WILL get fluffy eventually, but there's gonna be quite alot of angst ahead before it does. It's going to be a journey, so I hope that you're all ready to join me for the ride. I'm sorry if that's not what you signed up for. I hope you enjoy the SHITSHOW OF HEARTACHE that I have planned for you all. *evil laughter* Reviews are love!


	5. Chapter 5

When Norma had come downstairs the next morning, Alex had already left for work, over an hour earlier than usual, and the insurance papers were neatly stacked on the table, signed and dated on every page that needed it. There was a fresh pot of coffee ready, the only real indication that despite everything, he didn't actually hate her. The sight made her heart ache and she choked down a cup without tasting it, feeling like she didn't deserve to savour it.

Everything changed after that night. Alex was usually gone before she woke up, and he was rarely home for dinner now. She wasn't sure where he was eating, and even though she was still mad at him, she worried about him eating properly. A tiny part of her wondered if the redhead she had seen at the Winter Festival was the one taking up so much of his time, and convinced herself this worry was only related to whether or not she was making him enough food. What Alex did with the rest of his time was no concern of hers - She had made it painfully clear that their marriage was just for a show, so as long as he was being discreet, she couldn't care less what he was up to in his spare time.

At least, that was what she told herself, but she couldn't stop the ache in her heart when she was gathering up his laundry one day (she still did his laundry. She liked doing laundry so she couldn't even be mad that he hadn't tried to stop her) and caught a whiff of perfume that wasn't hers on the collar of his shirt. Taking a deep inhale, her eyes drifted down to the cuff where a tiny smudge of red lipstick drew her gaze. It wasn't hers. She very rarely wore red lipstick, and even if she did, she'd barely seen Alex in the last week, let alone been close enough to smear her lips or her scent on his clothes.

Taking a deep breath, Norma swallowed the tears that threatened to spring forth, feeling them turn to rage as she let it sink in. It was entirely unreasonable, she knew, and yet, when she heard the slam of the door from downstairs, she was on her feet before she could stop herself. He was home early, much earlier than usual, which was lucky for her, but unlucky for him, as his timing led him right into the path of hurricane Norma.

The stomping of her feet on the stairs alerted him to her oncoming presence, and he turned to face her, his brow furrowed with confusion. They had barely spoken in a week, and now she was storming towards him like she was about to kiss him. He was so distracted by the shock of her charging towards him that he didn't notice the creased ball of fabric in her hand until she hurled it right in his face.

His head jerked back in surprise when the shirt hit him, and Norma smirked, crossing her arms in front of her.

"What the hell-?" He started, glancing down at the garment in confusion.

"What are you thinking?!" She yelled. "What if you got caught?"

"Norma, what are you talki-" He ventured, genuinely confused.

"Don't." She snarled, snatching the garment out of his hand, and flipping it over a few time till she found the offending mark on the sleeve. She held it up accusingly.

"Lipstick on your sleeve? Perfume on your collar? It's all a bit cliché isn't it?"

She tossed the shirt back to him and went to turn away, not expecting the hand that shot out to grasp her arm, pulling her back. He spun her back to face him, his hands planting themselves firmly on the tops of her arms and her hands automatically came to rest on his chest. Neither of them were sure if the movement was defensive or comfortable.

She was still for a moment, confusion rendering her speechless. This wasn't what they did anymore - They didn't touch, they didn't kiss, they didn't share these moments of strangely sexual tension. Not anymore.

Their faces were inches apart, Norma's breaths coming embarrassingly shallow as Romero stared at her coldly, a wry smirk pulling at his lips.

"Why would you care?"

"I don't." She said immediately, too fast to be believable. "I don't." She tried again, more convincingly. "I just don't want you being seen and our cover being blown."

Norma was almost embarrassed at how implausible the words sounded coming out of her mouth, especially as her eyes kept darting to his lips. She rolled her eyes, as if bored by the whole thing, doing a flimsy job of pretending she wasn't flustered by his proximity.

"Look, I don't care about you and the redhead. I really don't." He stiffened slightly at her words, confirming her fears that she had guessed correctly. His face changed before she could read anything from his expression though, and he gazed back at her impassively, his fingers tightening around her arms just a fraction.

"I just think you need to show a little more discretion. You're a married man now." She finished with a triumphant little shake of her head.

"How could I forget?" He said, not unkindly, throwing her off as she had no idea what he was going to say next.

"Don't worry, Norma. What I do in my free time is really none of your business." He dropped his voice almost to a whisper and leaned in, close enough that she thought he was going to kiss her and she lost all will to stop him.

"Besides, you kept up your end of the bargain right?" Her eyes shot open and focused on his, which were boring cruelly into hers. "So I'll keep up mine." And with that, he stepped away from her abruptly, leaving her to stumble slightly when he realised how much he'd been supporting her.

"Hello?" Norma answered the phone brightly, masking how miserable she felt today. Alex had made a point of showing up for breakfast this morning, the day after their fight and things had been tense to say the least.

"Hi! Is this Mrs Romero?" A man's voice from the other end of the line piped up. She paused before answering, casting a glance at Alex who didn't even to bother looking up from his paper. She hadn't technically taken his name, but it could be the insurance company so she made a point of sounding deliriously happy when she answered.

"It sure is!" She chirped, plastering a fake smile on her face so the person on the other end could hear it.

"The woman who finally locked down Alex Romero! Man, I gotta say, I never thought I'd see the day..."

Norma's smile faltered. If this was the insurance company, they were terribly unprofessional.

"I'm sorry, who is this?" She ventured, as the person on the other end chuckled, a laugh she thought she recognised from somewhere.

"Oh man! I'm sorry, where are my manners? I'm Gabriel, Alex's brother." There was a pause, where Norma tried to suppress the words "I didn't know he had a brother" but couldn't think of a single other thing to say.

"Lemme guess? He didn't even mention me?"

"Errr..." She floundered, glancing over at Alex who had finally looked up from his paper to stare at her quizzically.

"Don't worry. That's classic Alex." He said warmly.

"Oh. Ok." She said weakly, before the silence stretched on and he chuckled again, the chuckle she now recognised as Alex's same chuckle, low and deep in his throat.

He quirked his eyebrows at her, clearly now intrigued at the conversation.

She cleared her throat.

"Listen, he's right here. I'll pass you over-"

"Wait, wait. Just one quick question before you do - Is he being good to you? Is he making you happy?" He sounded serious now, his tone still warm.

She paused for a second, hovering next to Alex's chair, staring down at him with an unreadable expression.

"Yes. We're deliriously happy. He's everything I ever wanted." She answered, just deadpan enough for Alex to look confused and hurt all at the same time, but upbeat enough that Gabriel seemed pleased with the answer and laughed again.

She passed the phone over without another word, mouthing "It's your brother" as she pressed the receiver into his hand.

Alex flustered for a moment before plastering that same smile on his face and springing up from his chair, pacing the kitchen as he spoke to his brother.

Norma pretended to suddenly be very busy cleaning the coffee filter out, listening to Alex's side of the conversation with interest.

"Yeah, no... Well, it was very sudden- Yeah, but when you know, you know, right? Why waste time?"

"I know-... well, we would have loved to have had you there, but it was all kinda spontaneous."

Chancing a glance over her shoulder, she caught him rubbing the back of his neck with his free hand, obviously anxious over lying to his brother.

"Ok. Go on..? What? Oh my god, that's great news! Congratulations!" He smiled, genuine and warm, apparently forgetting she was there.

"Oh." His smile faltered and he glanced up at her shiftily. "Well, you know, things are pretty crazy up here right now. I don't know if we'd be able to get away. Norma's got the motel... and-"

He sighed deeply and looked crestfallen and Norma suddenly felt like she was intruding on an intimate moment and ducked out of the kitchen, absurdly tip toeing like her steps would echo down the phone line.

"Gabe, I get it, ok? I just don't think we're going to be able to. Please don't do that. Don't mention mom..." That was the last thing she heard before gently pressing the door shut behind her, giving him some privacy to talk with his brother.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for all your reviews, guys! I adore them. This is where the story is going to completely veer off from the show, so I hope y'all like it!


	6. Chapter 6

Norma Bates was sitting in a plane seat, honestly unsure of how she had got there. One minute Alex had been telling her that his brother was getting married, the next she had been telling him they couldn't possibly go, and ten minutes later, after he brokenly mentioned that his brother thought it was what their mom would have wanted, and she had been convincing him to go.

"You have to come with me." He had wheedled, after she had convinced him of the importance of the trip.

"Alex, I can't. I have the motel and-"

"How many reservations do we have for the next week?" He had interrupted, and Norma couldn't help but notice his use of the word "we."

"Well, there's nothing in the calendar but-"

"Please, Norma. When have I ever asked you for anything?" He stepped closer to her, breaking their new pattern of cold indifference and respecting each other's personal space bubbles. "He really wants us to be there. He bought plane tickets for both of us."

"Well..." She pretended to sound unsure for a moment longer, not wanting to admit that she'd been onboard ever since his dead mother had been mentioned. Besides, she enjoyed being convinced.

"Fantastic. We leave Friday!" He had announced before she could even really agree, pecking her warmly on the cheek, excitement clearly clouding his judgement.

And that was how Norma found herself sat in a plane seat, about to fly thousands of miles away from her home, her business and her sons, with someone who could barely stand to look at her three days ago.

She took a shaky breath, trying to discreetly wipe her sweaty palms on her skirt. She wasn't sure which part of the situation was causing her the most anxiety - The thought of being stuck with Alex for a whole long weekend, or being so far away from Norman (it's only for 4 days, she told herself), or meeting his whole family and having to play the good little wife the whole time. More pressing was the fact that Norma Louise had never been on a plane before and the whole process had been pretty overwhelming. For someone who liked to be in control at all times, it felt like they'd been sitting on the runway forever, chirpy flight attendants strolling past, shooting her beaming smiles as she tried to ignore Alex's restless squirming in the seat next to her.

"Stop!" She hissed at him, her hand shooting out to halt his wriggling knee, withdrawing as soon as she realised the intimacy of the action.

"I can't help it, Norma." He whispered back. "These seats are too damn small."

"Yeah well, you're a big guy..." She muttered back, smoothing out her skirt and then freezing when she realised what she'd said. "Big and tall-ish. Well..." She suddenly became fascinated with looking out of the window, staring intently at the baggage handlers loading the luggage while she felt him smirk beside her.

"Mr and Mrs Romero?" A young flight attendant with the whitest teeth Norma had ever seen was smiling broadly at them both, her head cocked to the side while she waited for them to reply.

They glanced at each before both making the same hesitant "errr" noise.

"Well-" Alex started to say.

"Yes." Norma interrupted, linking her arm through his and giving his bicep a squeeze. "Basically." Norma added, with a little shrug. "He's still trying to convince me to take his name." She smiled warmly at the young woman who nodded back at her.

"Yeah, she's very... independent." Alex added, saying the word like it was the highest compliment he could give. She wondered if he meant it.

The attendant gave a little "Aw, that's so cute!" type scrunch of her face in response, before carrying on.

"You've been upgraded to first class. If you'd like to follow me."

She started to walk off, halted by the chorus of "Whoa, whoa whoa"s from the newlyweds. Perplexed, she turned back.

"Whoa, wait. There must be some kind of mistake." Alex started.

"No. No mistake sir. You've been upgraded. It's all arranged." She chirped, her neat little ponytail swaying wildly as she talked. "Now, if you'd like to follow me."

"But-" Norma started, cut off as Alex held up a hand to stop her.

"Now, now honey." He cooed at her, making her roll her eyes. "Let's not look a gift horse in the mouth." He said pointedly, nodding his head at where his knees were uncomfortably pressed up against the seat in front.

Five minutes later and Norma wasn't sure why she had hesitated, as she settled into a seat about 4 times the size of her last one. She watched as Alex stretched out his long limbs happily in his own seat. At least now she could stop worrying about accidentally brushing against him during the flight, although she was already missing his constant fidgeting as a distraction from her own nerves.

"Did you do this?" She whispered, her tone somewhat accusing, even as she smiled at their surroundings.

"On what? My sheriff's salary?" He said, settling more comfortably before noticing the way she was staring at him. "No, Norma. I didn't. Now, just try to relax. Enjoy yourself."

"But..."

"Hi there! My name's Natalie and I'll be looking after you two today. If you need anything, just let me know." She had the same overly bright, perky demeanour of the last girl, but was also holding two glasses of champagne, which made it hard for Norma to hate her the way she wanted to. "There you go. Something to get you started." She handed them each a glass, and fixed Norma with a warm grin. "Have a fantastic honeymoon!" She said, syrupy sweet, before bouncing away up the aisle.

"Honeymoon?!"Norma repeatedly incredulously.

Alex laughed, stretching his legs out lazily.

"Ah Gabe. Always had a great sense of humour."

"She thinks we're honeymooning in Florida?" Norma muttered, mostly to herself, but was rewarded with a hearty chuckle from Alex. They hadn't discussed it, but had shared a little nose-wrinkle of distaste when they found out the wedding was being held in the sunshine state, images of swamps and gators and springbreakers crossing their minds.

"Oh god. What if she thinks we're going to Disneyworld for our honeymoon?"

He fixed her with an incredulous look, gesturing to both their decidedly grown up attire.

"Do we look like Disney people? Besides, we're about 200 miles out if we're going to Disneyworld."

She nodded thoughtfully, quietly impressed at his geography knowledge, before an image popped into her head and she smiled at him.

"You might look kinda dashing in Mickey Mouse ears." She said seriously, unconsciously tapping her ring against her glass.

He rolled his eyes, shaking his head at her.

"Ok. Just drink your champagne, Mrs Romero." He replied flirtily and she just shrugged and took a sip of champagne and for a second they both forgot that they had had a falling out.

A beat passed between them, before he stretched out again, sinking a little deeper in his chair and taking a long gulp of his drink.

"Ahh, a man could get used to this."

Norma had three glasses of champagne and realised too late that she hadn't eaten anything, taking one bite of a cheese cracker before promptly falling asleep.

She awoke half an hour before landing, staring sleepily at the leather jacket that was covering her.

"You looked cold." He said, without looking up from his book and she wondered how he knew she had woken up.

"Oh." She said uselessly, struggling to sit up in her chair, feeling groggy from her nap. "Didn't they have blankets?" She asked, without thinking, pushing his jacket off her to pool on her lap. He reached over to snatch it back.

"Ok. Freeze next time." Her mouth fell open in surprise at his harsh words but when she glanced at him, he flashed her a little look, letting her know he hadn't meant them.

"You talked about Mickey Mouse in your sleep." He said, with no emotion whatsoever, and she had to stare at him for a long time to figure out if he had said what she thought he'd said.

"Ok." She said slowly, licking her dry lips, as she tried to clear the grog from her mind. "Well, secret's out, I guess. Mickey had a better insurance deal so..."

The words died on her lips. She had meant them as a joke, but if she had been more awake, and not slightly headachey from three glasses of champagne, she would have realised it was probably too soon to joke. There was too much tension still, too much weighing heavily on them to joke about their current situation. She realised all this too late though, and closed her eyes, sighing to herself as he tensed up in his seat.

There was a pause, and he let out a little snort, before shaking his head and reaching for something by his side.

"Here." He handed her a bottle of water, looking away from her, and she took it gratefully, gulping it down while keeping her eyes trained on the side of his face. She just couldn't work out where she stood with him. One minute, he seemed entirely in love with her, the next he hated her, the next he was begging him to join him on a family trip. One minute snapping at her about his jacket, the next handing her a water. It was exhausting trying to keep up with him. But then, she supposed she didn't make it any easier than he did.

"Enjoy it. It cost me eight bucks." He said, jerking his head at the water, while he folded down his page in his book, stowing it back in his bag. She panicked that they were going to have to chat now that she had his full attention and she floundered, suddenly finding herself with nothing to say to him.

"Huh. Champagne is free, but you pay for water." She said pointlessly, taking another long sip to buy herself a moment.

"How the other half live, eh?" Their eyes met and they looked away nervously, like kids at prom.

"Hi there!" Natalie popped up out of nowhere again, that same fake smile on her face. They were both secretly grateful for the interruption. "We're gonna be landing soon, so if you could pop your seatbelts back on for me, that'd be great." As she spoke, her eyes drifted down pointedly to Alex's lap, where Norma's foot was casually resting. She flushed, trying to jerk her foot back, struggling when she realised she'd slipped it under the low barrier between their seats and it was now stuck. How she had managed to manoeuvre her foot under it in her sleep, or how she had managed to not even notice that her foot was intimately lounging against his thigh, she would never know.

"Help me!" She hissed at Alex, as she pulled her ankle painfully against the arm rest, shooting Natalie an awkward smile as the girl turned and walked away.

He watched her struggle with amusement for a moment longer, a small smile playing on his face as she tried to twist her leg back and forth, barely caring that she was kicking him with every movement.

"Alex!" She whined, and he casually reached over to grasp a button on the side of the armrest, lifting the whole thing up to release her.

"I can't take you anywhere." He laughed at her and she pretended not to have to fight a smile while she retreated back into her seat, huffily putting her seatbelt back on.

"Shut up." She pouted out of the window, gazing down at the world below for the first time.

"Careful honey. Natalie's going to think we're not enjoying our honeymoon." She could hear the laughter in his voice, and continued staring out of the window, watching in awe as the vivid greens and blues of the ocean started to give way to the whites and greys of sprawling cities.

There was a long pause, and she felt her seat dip slightly as he shuffled over to look out of the window. His thigh pressed against hers, his hand rested on the wall next to her head, leaning in close enough to feel his breath stirring her hair, and she suddenly felt her breath quicken as he crowded her.

"I hate you." She said playfully, still pouting as she rubbed her sore ankle against her uninjured one. He leaned impossibly closer under the pretence of getting a better view of the never ending coastline beneath them, and her eyes fluttered closed as his chest pressed against her shoulder. Her head dropped back a little, her hair tickling his face.

"Careful." He whispered, right in her ear, making her shiver. "Keep saying that and I might start to believe you." Her tongue darted out to wet her lips, and she started to turn her head, very aware that when she did, their lips would be millimetres apart.

"Sir!" Natalie's voice rang out and they sprang apart guiltily. "Please take your seat! We're about to land."

He shuffled back over to his own seat, shamefaced, and obediently plugged his seatbelt back in, while Norma pulled a face at him, delighted that he had been told off.

"Can't take you anywhere." She said, shaking her head at him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all the comments guys. I love hearing from y'all and I live for your validation! :)


	7. Chapter 7

Norma and Alex emerged from the arrivals lounge to find a sign saying "Mr and Mrs Romero" held up by a smiling, all-american-looking couple.

Alex almost sprinted the last few feet, hugging the man who looked nothing like him before she could even catch up. A small blonde woman was watching the two embrace, her hands clapped happily over her face as she watched them, before she turned to Norma.

"Norma?" She said happily, as if she'd known her for years. Norma nodded uncertainly, before being swept up in the young woman's hug, returning it out of politeness, smiling helplessly at Alex as he pulled away from the man, watching her sweetly.

"It's so lovely to meet you!" The blonde said sincerely into her ear, and Norma smiled against her shoulder, meeting Alex's eyes.

"Ok, Sarah, put her down." The man said gently, as she pulled away from her. Norma didn't protest as she was passed from the blonde woman to the large, sandy-haired man, being embraced in another brief hug.

"Mrs Romero. It's a pleasure to finally meet you." He said, enveloping her gently for a few polite seconds before pulling away.

"It's Bates." Alex piped up, and Norma flushed, as she had briefly forgotten this was all pretend.

"Norma Bates." Alex clarified, at their confused glances. "Couldn't quite convince her to take my name." She wound her arm around his waist, feeling him flinch slightly at her touch before relaxing into it, wrapping his arm around her shoulder.

"He's still working on it." She added teasingly, pressing a soft kiss against his surprised cheek, before smiling at the couple in front of her. This was important to him and she wasn't going to half-ass their cover.

"Honey," he started, sickly sweet, and she smiled at him, realised he was cottoning on to her move. "This is Gabriel, my little brother."

Even though they had already hugged, Gabriel held his hand out politely and they shook hands.

"It's a pleasure, Norma Bates." Gabriel said, warmly, and though she barely knew him, Norma already liked him.

"May I introduce my lady love, Sarah?" He said, with over-the-top formality, his arm wrapping around the tiny blonde's shoulder. At first glance, she was the kind of girl Norma would normally hate - The kind of overly pretty young blonde woman who seemed frequently drawn to her unstable son, but there was something humble and sincere in the way she smiled at Norma that had her won over, reaching to shake her hand also.

"Hi." Norma said quietly, suddenly shy, which was quite unlike her.

"Norma Bates, can I get you a drink?" Gabriel said suddenly, as if sensing her nervousness.

"I would love that." She said gratefully, letting him pull her gently towards where they were parked.

"Ok, what do we want first? Drink or a tour?" Gabriel said casually, as he pushed open the door to his and Sarah's impressive house. Norma had quickly realised she had somewhat underestimated the great state of Florida. Her head had been filled with visions of spring breakers and gators and swamps, so she had been quietly impressed with the understated beauty of Jupiter, Florida as Gabriel had driven them to their place. The sun was just started to set, casting an impressive golden hue over the beach as they drove alongside it, winding around the harbour, passing the lighthouse as they headed back into the city.

They pulled up to an imposing villa, glancing at each other across the back seat before staring back up at the house.

"I know. It's a little ostentatious." Gabriel admitted quickly, noticing their reluctance. "We got a great deal." He added, almost guiltily.

Norma and Alex jumped out of the car, staring up at the house in quiet awe, as Gabriel and Sarah wrapped an arm around each other, biting their lips nervously.

"It's hard to sell family houses in Jupiter. It's more of a retirement community." Sarah piped up. "That's why we got such a good deal." She added apologetically.

"No, no. It's beautiful." Norma said quickly, not wanting them to feel self conscious about their home. Her own home wasn't much smaller really. It was just... very different.

"It's lovely, Gabe." Alex said suddenly, glancing uneasily at the palm trees surrounding their drive as if he didn't quite trust them. "Show us around."

They had a cursory tour of the house, Norma's mouth flying open as they showed her the pool and Alex had casually added "Oh, Norma's having a pool added to the motel. Maybe you could show her some plans?"

Norma found herself naturally liking Gabriel and Sarah, sensing a natural bond between them. Gabriel looked almost nothing like Alex; He had a buff, tan, wholesome look that reminded her of an overgrown abercrombie+fitch model, but when he smiled, she saw Alex all over his face. And since Gabriel seemed to have the tendency of smiling all the time, she could see more and more of Alex in him.

Sarah was the kind of girl she would be inclined to hate, all long blonde hair and white teeth, had she not experienced her genuine warmth first hand. She was clearly considerably younger than Gabriel, though no-one mentioned it, and Norma found herself caring less and less about it the longer she knew her.

"And this is going to be the nursery." Sarah had said, with surprising honesty, after pushing open a door that currently opened into a room full of nothing.

"Well, we hope." Gabriel countered, smiling gently at his soon-to-be-wife, before fixing Alex with an unreadable expression. Norma smiled at the empty room, oddly pleased that this couple she barely knew were planning on having children, before noticing Sarah staring at her strangely. Alex nodded mildly, patting his brother before moving on.

"And this is your room." Sarah said with a flourish, opening a door into an exquisitely decorated guest room. The walls were a soft lavender blue, the bed made up with the layers of unnecessary cushions and bedlinen that seemed to only exist in guest bedrooms.

"Is it ok?" Sarah said anxiously, biting her lip and Norma grasped her arm lightly, gazing around the immaculate room.

"It's perfect. Thank you." She said the words so warmly, so genuinely, that she quietly congratulated herself on keeping the shake out of her voice. In truth, this small room, with this huge bed had filled her with anxiety that she could barely contain, but instead of letting anyone know, she just smiled, her grin huge as she let Alex slip his arm into hers.

"Right. Tour over. How incredibly boring we've all become. Let's have a drink!" Gabe said enthusiastically. Sarah tutted at his words, but let him pull her excitedly towards the kitchen, as Norma and Alex followed behind.

"Norma? We made mojitos..." Sarah started quietly, as she loudly shook a cocktail shaker.

"Great. I love mojitos!" Norma replied, twisting her skirt in her hands nervously.

Gabriel and Sarah shared a long look as she shook the shaker, before straining the contents into four glasses.

"I also like a mojito." Alex said pointedly, as Gabe was already starting to hand him one, starting to feel like Norma was the guest and he wasn't.

"We were just checking..." Gabriel started, before Sarah began shushing him. "Stop it!" He cut her off, as she blushed heavily from behind the bar. "We were wondering if that was what all the haste was for."

There was a pause as Norma and Alex regarded them curiously for a moment.

"We wondered if there a reason for such a hasty wedding..." Gabriel said pointedly, giving up on any sense of pretence, gesturing awkwardly at Norma's stomach.

She took a long, awkward sip of her drink before answering, though her sip of alcohol was really answer enough.

"No, no. We just..." She started, before Alex cut her off.

"-I think we might be a little old for a shotgun wedding, Gabe."

They all laughed, though it sounded a little hollow to all of their ears.

"Ok, ok. Just drink your drinks then. Sarah mixes a mean mojito, right?"

The rest of the evening passed fairly casually, only a few awkward moments passing between them.

"So how did you two meet?" Sarah had asked lightly, at one point, and Norma had spoken before Alex could.

"He tried to arrest me. Thought I'd murdered a local scumbag." Norma said lightly, glancing casually at Alex. She'd apparently decided that the least they had to lie about, the easier it would be, her tone breezy as she flashed him a tense look.

Gabe and Sarah laughed.

"And had she?" Sarah asked, laughter playing on her voice.

He glanced at her, and then rearranged his face into a playful expression.

"Of course she had. She hacked him to pieces." He said, his tone darkly humorous as Gabe and Sarah chuckled. Norma rolled her eyes, fixing a smile on her face, trying to pretend she found it absurd and not entirely the truth.

"Well, I'm sure he deserved it!" Gabe joked, not noticing the tense look that passed between Norma and Alex as their smiles froze in place.

"So, Sarah, tell me about the wedding." Norma changed the subject abruptly, watching Sarah's face light up at the chance to talk about her big day.

"It's going to be on the beach!" She said excitedly, briefly showing just how young she was as she clapped her hands together. "Just a small ceremony." She paused, her smile fading slightly. "We don't have much family between us."

Gabe's hand shot out to grasp at hers, shooting her an encouraging look, while Alex and Norma's smiles froze in place, suddenly feeling very sad for reasons they didn't quite grasp.

"That's why we were so happy you could make it." Sarah said quietly, smiling at them. "Both of you." She added, sharing a shy little smile with Norma.

The silence stretched on for a moment too long and Gabe suddenly sprang up, grabbing the pitcher off the counter.

"You've kinda killed the vibe, my love." He said playfully, starting to refill everyone's glasses before anyone could protest. She shrugged, in a sorry-not-sorry kind of way, shooting him a flirtatious little grin as she shook her empty glass at him.

"So... I now know that kids aren't in any immediate future," Gabe started, earning tense smiles from them both. "But... what's the plan? Any kids in the pipeline?"

"Don't forget we're not as young as you and your young wife." Alex said abruptly, earning him a harsh glance from Norma. It was the first mention that had been made of the age difference between Gabe and Sarah, and Alex flinched, not really meaning it harshly.

"Soon-to-be-wife." Sarah added sweetly, apparently unaffected by his tone, though Gabe fixed him with a stare that made him shrink in his chair a little.

Norma flushed, glancing helplessly at Alex, who had already drawn breath to reply on her behalf.

"Well, Norma already has a son." He said, without pausing. She glared at him, as if her son's very existence should be some big secret.

"But he's eighteen, so it's not like Alex is taking him on or anything." She added hastily, drawing slightly uncomfortable nods from Gabriel and Sarah. Alex reached over to pat her arm, shooting her a look that told her to calm down.

"But he's a great kid." Alex said, and Norma shot him an incredulous look. He almost sounded believable.

"Yes. He is." She said defiantly, like she was challenging him to disagree. They stared at each other for a moment too long, until Gabe and Sarah starting shifting in their seats, shooting each other questioning glances.

"Anyway, we're going fishing when we get back." Alex recovered, suddenly breaking the intense eye contact and plastering a smile on his face while he lied smoothly.

"Wow Alex - A married man. Taking the kid fishing. When did you grow up so much?"

"I'm a changed man, Gabe." He said, smiling at him, shooting Norma a look that told her to just shut up and agree with him.

"What have you done with my brother?" Gabriel said seriously, patting Norma's hand. Alex gently took her other hand in his own. She wasn't sure what she should say, so she just smiled, nodding gently back at him.

What had she done to him?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know literally nothing about Florida. I only picked it because I wanted somewhere totally different from the setting of the show, just to change it up a bit. I spent a few minutes on trip advisor, checking out Jupiter and it seemed like a delightful little town, with a very pretty lighthouse. That's literally all I know. Everything beyond that is entirely fictional.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Non-con trigger warning for following chapter.

The four had talked for hours more, immediately at ease in each other's company, picking at an almost constant stream of food and drinks that Sarah had kept bringing out. Eventually, after Norma could no longer politely conceal her yawns, Alex had interrupted Gabe and Sarah's enthusiastic retelling of their first date.

"I think we're gonna have to turn in, guys." Alex started, glancing at Norma who blinked sleepily back at him.

Gabe nodded knowingly.

"Sure, sure. It's the heat, right? If you're not used to it, it'll drain the life right out of ya."

Alex smiled at him, genuinely happy to be back with his excitable younger brother. Although Alex was pleased Gabe had managed to get away from White Pine Bay, he was always sorry that they weren't closer these days.

"Yeah, maybe. It could also be that it's..." He checked his watch. "two in the morning, Gabe."

Sarah clapped her hands over her face, once again showing her youth as she guilty glanced at their tired faces, her own face just as perky as when they had picked them up from the airport.

"Oh my goodness! I'm so sorry! We've kept you up-"

"No, no." Alex countered, stifling a yawn as he pulled Norma to her feet. "It's just been a long day."

"Of course, of course." Sarah and Gabriel jumped to their feet politely as they hovered awkwardly to say goodnight.

"Thank you so much for inviting us. It's been lovely to get to know you a bit." Norma said pleasantly, grasping Sarah's hand for a moment, before smiling over at Gabe.

"I'm sure you'll get to know her better tomorrow!" Gabe said, his eyes glinting wickedly.

"Tomorrow?" Norma enquired.

"At the bachelorette party." Gabe said innocently, as Sarah flushed, as if embarrassed by the prospect.

"Okaaay." Norma said slowly, giving them a moment to tell her if they were joking. When the silence stretched on too long, Alex wrapped his arm round her shoulders, stifling a smile at the mildly horrified look on her face.

"Well, goodnight..." He said, leading her up the stairs to their room.

"A bachelorette party?" Norma repeated incredulously. She'd said it several times, sitting on the edge of the bed, rubbing her temples.

"I mean, who has their bachelorette party the night before the wedding anymore? It's asking for disaster!" She kicked her shoes off petulantly, as Alex regarded her with amusement.

"Well, she is only twelve. She probably doesn't even get hangovers."

Norma shushed him dramatically, as if Gabe and Sarah were on the other side of paper thin walls, and not several rooms over in their gargantuan home.

"Don't be unkind, Alex." She chastised and he hung his head for a moment, genuinely regretting his words.

"She's very nice." He offered, almost trying to redeem himself as Norma glared at him, her arms crossed. "Gabe's done well for himself."

She rolled her eyes at his choice of words, but smiled down at the floor for a moment thoughtfully.

"Gabe seems very sweet." She said suddenly, watching as Alex pottered back and forth, hanging up some of his clothes in the closet. "Are you close?"

He faltered, a garment bag halfway to the closet, before he carried on, turning his gaze away.

"Not really. Not anymore. We used to be though." He sadly, as he tried not to reveal too much. He turned back to see that she had tucked her feet up under her on the bed, regarding him curiously, apparently ready for the rest of the story that she sensed was there.

"We don't look much alike." He said suddenly and she cocked her head at him.

"No, you don't." She admitted slowly.

"I look alot like my dad. Gabe... doesn't." He said pointedly, as Norma nodded slightly, starting to figure out what he meant. "My dad's a difficult man at the best of times, but he was never close to Gabe. It wasn't till I was an adult that I figured out why. I always just thought I was the favourite." Alex admitted innocently, making Norma smile sadly at the back of his head.

He didn't hear her slip off the bed or pad over to him barefoot, to where he was fiddling with the garment bag, pointlessly trying to get the zip to lie flat.

"When my mom died, there wasn't anything left for him in White Pine Bay, and he took off..." He was cut off as a small pair of hands were suddenly sliding around his waist. He jumped, spinning round in surprise, letting her pull him in for a hug before he could think better of it. His hands wrapped around her naturally, coming to rest on the small of her back, letting himself relax into her embrace. He wasn't upset exactly, but thinking of the difference between his and Gabe's childhood always made him feel a little guilty, especially as Gabe never seemed to hold any of it against him.

"I'm glad we came then." She said gently, as he let his hands stroke up her back to brush lightly against her hair. The hug suddenly felt much more intimate, and she pulled back slightly, keeping her arms wrapped around him.

"Me too. Thank you." He said seriously, his hands brushing her hair back to cup her face softly. He smiled at her, and she smiled back sleepily, before letting her eyes drift shut, her lips parting slightly.

Alex leaned forward naturally, responding to the way she so obviously wanted him to kiss her, before his brain kicked in, making him freeze mere inches from her mouth.

You're both exhausted, you've spent the day touching and flirting and playing the happy husband and wife - You're bound to be confused. This isn't real, remember? At least, not for her...

He cleared his throat self-consciously and her eyes flew open, clearly surprised that he hadn't taken the opportunity she had so readily presented to him.

"Which side of the bed do you want?" He said quickly, dropping his hands from her face.

The pause stretched on for a moment, before she withdrew her arms suddenly, taking a small step back, glancing uneasily at the bed.

"I don't care." She answered dismissively, and disguised the pure terror in her eyes as mild annoyance at his rejection.

He narrowed his eyes at her, sensing that she was offended, but also something else that he couldn't quite put his finger on. The look was gone before he could figure it out and she spun away from him, flashing him a tight smile before heading over to her suitcase, busying herself with it. He slipped into the bathroom, instantly feeling calmer now he was away from the piercing blue of her eyes, leaning against the door, trying to steady himself.

They swapped places a few minutes later, doing an awkward little dance in the doorway, and Norma was a little overwhelmed by the intimate domesticity of it all. They had lived together for weeks now, but in a huge house, with separate bathrooms, and separate bedrooms and separate lives. Suddenly, their living space felt almost suffocating; this small room, with it's small adjoining bathroom felt wholly unsuitable for two people who had never even properly shared a bed before.

She selfishly wished he would offer to sleep on the floor, but quickly dismissed the idea as ridiculous. They were adults, and the bed was more than big enough for two of them. And, although Alex was a gentleman, she'd already had sex with him once - It was probably a bit late to start demanding her fake husband start treating her with chivalrous respect.

As she splashed cold water on her face, trying to calm herself down, she had a sudden thought. What if he wanted to again? She would do it, of course - She owed him - but the thought still sent a strange wave of panic and a series of other emotions that was was too tired to figure out through her.

No, she thought to herself. He had the redheaded woman for that now. Even if Norma had wanted to, Alex had moved onto greener pastures. Her fingers clutched hard at the sink as she thought of the two of them together.

I bet she doesn't freak out like this. I bet she's simple and uncomplicated and just gives him what he wants. That unwelcome voice in her brain was back again.

She shook her head, telling herself to stop being ridiculous, staring at her own piercing eyes in the mirror, thinking how sad they looked.

Despite this, Norma found herself spending extra time rubbing body butter along her limbs, smearing a little lip balm on her lips, fluffing her hair up with her hands, before she caught what she was doing. For someone who was terrified of him touching her, she was spending an inordinate amount of time making herself appealing. Sighing, she decided she was just stalling, secretly hoping he would be asleep when she came out.

She walked back into the bedroom, taking a shaky breath when she saw Alex sitting up in the bed, shirtless and apparently waiting patiently for her.

He laughed gently when he saw her, taking in her sleep attire. She was wearing her most demure nightgown, an incredibly old fashioned, floor-length white night dress that covered almost every inch of her body.

"What?" She said, indignantly, glancing down at herself.

"Norma, it's eighty degrees outside. Is that really necessary?"

Yes. She thought immediately. Entirely.

But she merely shrugged, trying to smile at him.

"I get cold." She said, by way of explanation. It was absurd of course, as he was right - It was nearly eighty degrees, and the humidity was stifling but she couldn't bare the idea of him grazing against her skin in the night. A small part of her didn't entirely agree, especially as her eyes kept straying to his bare chest, gliding down the outline of the rest of his body under the thin sheet. Maybe him touching her wouldn't be the worst thing in the world? She bit her lip to stop her thoughts from wandering too far in this direction. They had tried this, and it hadn't ended well. She was broken. No use dragging him down with her.

As she stood, nervously rubbing her ankle with her other foot, chewing her lip thoughtfully, she realised she had been silent for way too long, as he stared at her patiently, eventually pulling back her side of the sheet and patting the bed.

"I took this side." He said unnecessarily, as he was obviously already settled on one side of the bed. "Didn't know if you had a preference?"

"It's fine. This is fine." She muttered brightly, sliding delicately into the bed, lying down as close to the edge as she could. Rolling onto her side, she tucked her hand under her head, staring glumly at the door, already feeling like it was going to be a long night.

He flicked the light off and she jumped as she felt him briefly roll over to her side of the bed, his hand ghosting over her hip, his lips pressing against her temple in the darkness.

"Night." He said, before rolling back over, and the act had been so casual, so natural that Norma wanted to cry.

They lay in silence for what felt like hours, Norma focusing on keeping her breathing steady, trying not to flinch every time he shifted behind her, her muscles starting to ache from the effort of keeping her body rigid.

"I can hear you thinking." He whispered suddenly, his voice making her jump.

There was a pause, where she considered pretending to be asleep.

"Statistically," she started, clearing her throat. "it's more common for the man to take the side of the bed closer to the door. It's a primal thing, an unconscious act to protect the woman."

She heard him grin at the ceiling.

"You wanna switch sides?"

"No, no. I'm just pointing it out."

She stared at the door, as if willing an intruder to burst in to prove her point.

"Just an interesting fact." She stated mildly.

He huffed out an exasperated laugh.

"Maybe I just know you'd probably be able to scare off an intruder better than I could?"

She rubbed her face into the pillow, hiding her smile, secretly pleased at his words. It was unusual to find someone who didn't automatically underestimate her.

"Maybe you just don't like me very much." She countered, playfully.

She flinched as he moved very suddenly, wrapping one hand around her waist, hooking the other under her knee. It was everything she'd feared when she slipped into bed with him - A sudden, unexpected movement, with him forcefully putting his hands on her. And yet, she wasn't scared. Instead, a breathless giggle escaped her as he dragged her to where he'd just been lying, sliding her across the bed in an undignified manner that she didn't even mind. He crawled around her as they swapped places, settling in the space she'd just vacated.

"Happy now?"

"I'm not unhappy." She said coolly, and she meant it. She had expected to feel the hot burst of panic when he had touched her, but she hadn't feared his touch the way she'd anticipated, despite him manhandling her. He chuckled into the darkness behind her, and, though it had been a joke when she had mentioned it, she really did feel safer with his body between her and the door. She wasn't sure if it was just a placebo effect, but she felt herself instantly calm down, her muscles relaxing into the bed as the day finally caught up with her. Unexpectedly, she felt her body relaxing as she forgot about Alex snoozing behind her, letting her mind drift away as she felt sleep pulling at her consciousness.

There was a tickle against her thigh and she sleepily shifted, mildly irritated at the feel of it. There was a rustle, and the tickle was suddenly more insistent and she recognised it as the feel of fabric being slid against her flesh.

"Mmm." She made a tired noise of discontent, as her nightgown was pushed up and over her leg.

"Alex?" She questioned, sluggishly, barely registering the contact of a hand bunching her nightdress up. "What are you-"

She was cut off as a set of hands were suddenly rolling her fully onto her stomach, a heavy weight pressing her down into the mattress.

Any more words of protest were impossible, as her face was pressed hard into the cushion beneath her, barely able to draw a breath. She screamed, the sound vastly muffled against the pillow.

"Shhh... Norman will hear." She shuddered as Sam's voice ran through her, as his fist painfully gathered a handful of her hair, pressing her face harder against the pillow, his other hand slipping between her thighs, prising them apart.

"No, no... No!" If she said it enough, he might hear her. He might understand.

She froze as she heard the sound of him spitting on his hand, and she bucked her hips trying to throw him off, pulling in the deepest breath she could with his weight still on her.

She screamed, as loud as she could in the circumstances and suddenly the weight against her body was gone, but her scream continued, ringing out until she was well out of breath. Her eyes slowly fluttered open and she suddenly realised she wasn't even face down, her world suddenly flipping as she realised she was on her back, her face pressed against a soft, warm chest, her arms wrapped around a body hovering over her.

Her breaths continued to shudder out of her for a few moments longer, her fingers unconsciously tightening around Alex's back, relishing in the feel of his body comforting her for a few moments longer, knowing embarrassment was soon to set in. Sure enough, she felt her face redden as she became fully aware of her surroundings, noting the way he was kneeling over her, ashamed of the desperate way she was clinging to him.

"Shhhhh, you're ok." She suddenly became aware he was whispering these words over and over against her hair, his hands tracing soothing patterns up and down her back. Her face flushed and she shifted uncomfortably in his arms, suddenly feeling very self conscious in this situation.

"I dreamt you were a moth." She said suddenly, without thinking, watching a large moth banging against the window over his shoulder.

"What?" He pulled back, staring at her incredulously, his hands still wrapped so intimately around her.

His hands gently swept the hair back away from her face, and it was so delicate and sincere that she suddenly wanted to tell him everything. She didn't though, because that wasn't who she was.

"I dreamt you were a giant moth. You were flapping at me." She said calmly. "I really hate moths." The lie was so absurd that he simply had no reason not to believe it. Who would lie about a giant moth dream? You'd have to be crazy. So he laughed. A genuine laugh, his hands still cupping her face, his breathless laughter close enough to stir her hair, making her hate herself.

"Ok. Well, here I am. Not a moth." He demonstrated by flapping his decidedly non-moth-like arms and Norma was immediately sorry for the loss of his arms around her. She pretended she wasn't though, laughing at his ridiculous action, pretending to be the average amount of embarrassed at having a giant moth nightmare.

"Yes. I see that." She said casually, squirming slightly as they both retreated back to their individual sides of the bed, his hand consciously remaining on her side, resting lightly on her waist. She knew he was testing the water, and she wanted to encourage him, but her nightmare had proved she was never far from her demons and she wriggled pointedly.

"Not an invitation..." She muttered quietly, reaching behind her to move his hand back over to his side of the bed. If he was disappointed at all, he didn't let on, simply rolling away from her, facing away, doing exactly what she wanted.

"Sweet dreams, Norma." He said softly, and she listened to his breathing for a long time, waiting for it to settle into the deep pattern of sleep before allowing herself to sleep, hating herself for being this way.


	9. Chapter 9

"This is going to be so much fun!" Sarah practically squealed as she slid an unidentifiable plate of food in front of Norma without asking. Norma tried to manage a smile, glaring when she noticed Alex sitting coolly at the breakfast table. She had barely slept, and had woken up much later than usual, to an empty bed and an unbearably humid room. Her hair was an untameable mass of blonde curls and she could already feel her shirt starting to stick to her in the heat that her Oregon body just wasn't used to. She murmured a sleepy thanks, staring down at the plate of grease and cheese in confusion.

"Morning." Alex said shyly from across the breakfast table and Norma glared at him.

"Why did you let me sleep so late?" She hissed at him, accusingly, her glare softening slightly when he wordlessly slid a cup of coffee over to her.

"You looked tired." He said, earning him another death glare that made Gabriel chuckle from behind his paper.

"Ooh. Bad move, buddy." He laughed, lowering his paper and smiling at Norma's grumpy little scowl. "What my inept older brother meant to say was: 'You looked so peaceful, I didn't want to wake you.'"

She took a sip of coffee, instantly feeling a bit calmer, and chuckled across at Gabriel as Alex rolled his eyes at them both.

"Jeez. You're not even married yet and you're already better at this than me." Alex said lamely.

"I have him well trained." Sarah piped up, sauntering over and pressing a brief kiss against his lips before sliding a plate of grey mush in front of him.

Norma found herself smiling warmly at their little display of affection, noticing Alex doing the same. For a moment, this all felt so normal - Just two normal couples, enjoying each other's company, sitting down to a breakfast of... She glanced down at her plate again, wondering what exactly was sitting in front of her.

"It's sausage and grits." Gabe offered, following her mildly disgusted gaze down to her food. She immediately rearranged her face into a smile, slightly embarrassed at having been caught with such an ungrateful expression. He smiled at her, leaning forward to whisper conspiratorially. "Don't worry. It tastes better than it looks."

"I heard that, ya know." Sarah said from the kitchen. "Honestly," She donned a southern drawl. "If my mama could hear ya' now..." She giggled to herself, before strolling back over with a jug of orange juice, and her own plate of food.

"Now Alex, are you sure I can't tempt you?" She said, fixing him with a serious look, and glancing pointedly at his plate, which, unlike theirs, which were piled high with cheesy messes, was home to a single grapefruit half.

"No, really. I'm fine." He patted his toned stomach, as if he were tremendously overweight. "I gotta watch my cholesterol." He glanced at Norma out of the corner of his eyes, flashing her a smug grin as she unenthusiastically pushed her food around her plate.

"You West Coasters..." Sarah murmured to herself, as if not wanting her greasy sausage and cheese creation for breakfast was the height of some pampered Hollywood diet.

Norma raised a forkful to her mouth, realising everyone seemed to be watching her, Alex raising his eyebrows smugly at her, as Sarah watched with an expectant expression. She took a bite, chewing slowly, a smile spreading over her face.

"Well?" Sarah said, biting her lip, her own bite hovering on her fork.

"Sarah. This is delicious!" Norma said, sincerely, scooping up another bite.

"Sarah's from South Carolina originally." Gabe explained.

"My parents owned a restaurant there. I was cookin' before I could walk." She said humbly, and for the first time, Norma detected a slight southern drawl in her accent. It made her smile, as she watched the girl take a bite of her own food, grinning to herself as she obviously thought of home.

Norma turned to Alex, theatrically enjoying her own food as he picked glumly at his own breakfast.

"How's your grapefruit?" She asked brightly.

"Great." He shot back, incredibly unconvincingly, as he hungrily watched a bite travel to her mouth.

"Great." She parroted back to him. "Glad to see you taking care of your cholesterol. Can't have you up and dying on me after two weeks of marriage." She said lightly, as he gently shook his head, chuckling at her.

She caught Gabe and Sarah watching them fondly, and was once again overcome with a sense of comfort and familiarity, as if this were all real.

They ate in companionable silence for a few minutes, before Gabe piped up.

"So, what do you girls have planned for today?"

They all jumped as Sarah clapped her hands together loudly, letting out a little excited gasp.

"Oh my god! We're going to have so much fun!" She said enthusiastically, and Alex flashed Norma a little smile.

"So, first we're going to the spa. Massages, pedicures, the works..."

Norma's face lit up.

"And then we're having dinner with some of my friends and then heading out for some drinks."

Norma beamed at her. Maybe she had misjudged the girl, mistook her youthful enthusiasm for immaturity? The day sounded perfect and she found herself smiling across the table at Alex, who shrugged back as if he too had misjudged Sarah.

"And what are you boys doing today?" Norma asked.

"Golf." Gabe replied simply, then, when she gazed at him expectantly, he continued. "And beer." He supplied, glancing at Alex as if confused that the women expected more explanation than that.

"Well, what a full day you have planned. However will you find the time to fit it all in?" Sarah teased.

Sarah let Norma help clear the table, after a classic "But you're our guest!" conversation that Norma inevitably won, and she was drying her hands when she felt someone come up behind her. She spun round, thinking it was Sarah, just as Alex moved to lean past her, placing his cup on the side, and they ended up face to face, their lips inches apart.

"Oh, sorry." She muttered, casting her eyes down, and moving to step to the side, just as he stepped in the same direction. He reached behind her to push his cup further back, and she leaned away from him, feeling a little trapped and something else she couldn't put her finger on.

"Sorry." He muttered, as he accidentally crowded her against the sink, looking sad as she flinched away from him. It was awkward and was one of those moments where Norma was painfully aware that this was all just pretend. The thought made her realise they weren't alone, and she glanced over to see Gabe and Sarah staring at them strangely. It took only a moment to realise that it must look very odd - A married couple, avoiding each other's eye contact, apparently so desperately uncomfortable to accidentally invade each other's space and she panicked, worrying that their cover was blown.

Glancing back at him, she found herself raising up on her tip toes, curling a hand round his neck, pulling him in to kiss her. He froze for a moment, before pressing his lips against hers, his hands coming to rest lightly on her waist. He tasted fresh and citrusy, and her body ached to deepen the kiss, but she didn't, kissing him for only a few moments before pulling back, breathlessly.

They stared at each other for a moment, his eyes darting unconsciously back to her lips, his hands not releasing her until there was a conspicuously loud cough from behind them and they jumped. She had forgotten they were there for a moment, which was absurd, because she had only kissed him to put on a show for Gabe and Sarah. Hadn't she?

"Come on, lovebirds! Plenty of time for that later on!" Gabe chuckled, and Alex cast one last lingering look at her lips before pulling away from her, letting her finally take the breath she had been holding. Alex waited a few feet away from her, hovering awkwardly, pretending he couldn't feel Norma's eyes on him while they waited for Gabe to say goodbye to Sarah.

"Till tonight, my love!" He announced dramatically, cupping her face like they were posing for the front cover of a romance novel. She giggled, and pretended to swoon in his arms, and he kissed her, her foot popping up behind her. They were as ridiculous as each other, half all-american good looks, and half absurd renaissance-era love affair and Norma felt herself smiling at all the little moments they shared. They were perfect for each other.

He turned to Norma, tipping an imaginary hat at her, and winking.

"Till this eve, milady." She nodded gallantly back at him.

Alex shifted slightly, suddenly realising it was their turn to say goodbye, once again feeling like he was a teenager on his first date. Couldn't their kiss a moment ago be enough? His heart rate still hadn't returned to normal yet.

He closed the short distance between them and watched as her breath quickened with his proximity.

"I'll see you later on." He muttered, pressing a feather light kiss against her cheek. She had to resist the urge to turn her face, and kiss him again. His hand ghosted over her lower back and she shivered. "Have a good day."

Her hand trailed down his arm so that, when he finally pulled away, she brushed his fingertips, before reluctantly letting him go. Her composure returned to her now that he was out of her personal space again, and she beamed at him as he moved away.

"Bye hun!" She said brightly, immediately realising that she had probably never said "hun" before in her life. It wasn't that she was worried that the other couple would notice, since they didn't know her, how could they know? But she watched Alex's step falter for a split second, and wondered if he'd taken it as a slight insult? In actual fact, he'd just caught her off guard and she'd called him the first pet name that he popped into her head, but she wondered if he thought she was making a point about them being fake?

It IS fake, remember? That voice reminded her. Right. Of course. This isn't real.

"You too are so cute!" Sarah cooed quietly, rushing over to link her arm through Norma's who was leaning against the sink trying to pretend she kissed Alex all the time, and wasn't, in fact, shell-shocked and flustered. Norma just smiled back, not knowing what to say.

A day at the spa was just what Norma Bates didn't know she'd needed. While she'd always enjoyed some of the feminine delights of pampering herself, she had never indulged in a full day of it, and, as she floated in a whirlpool of twinkly lights and bubbles, she wondered why. Probably because spending a whole day doing nothing seemed incredibly extravagant to a mother of two, who single-handedly ran a motel and spent all of her free time hiding her demons and trying to make sure their lives didn't crash down around them. Still, as her and Sarah chatted easily, drinking fresh-squeezed florida orange juice while various trained professionals soothed the tension out of their bodies, she vowed to try and take more time for herself from now on.

"What was your wedding like? Did you have a bachelorette party?"

Norma smiled nervously down at the bubbles. Who would she have invited? All the women in White Pine Bay hated her. She couldn't say that of course, so she fixed a smile on her face.

"No, no. Nothing like that. We just kept it very simple. Just a City Hall affair."

Sarah cocked her head, pouting at her.

"Aw..." She started sadly.

"It was exactly what we wanted." Norma said, a little defensively. "It was all very impromptu. One minute he was telling me he couldn't wait another day to make me his wife. The next day, I was his wife. We didn't want to wait." Norma lied smoothly, letting herself get caught up in her own imagination. She glanced over her shoulders, as if expecting Alex to appear and roll his eyes at her imaginary version of events. He probably wouldn't enjoy being painted as the hopeless romantic of the piece.

"Awww..." Sarah cooed, apparently pleased with this new version.

"Were your family there?" She asked casually.

"I don't have any family." Norma said, far too quickly. "I mean, apart from my son, but he was away at the time, so he couldn't attend." She felt a pang of guilt for leaving Dylan out of this narrative, but it would have been too complicated to explain at this point. Besides, she didn't want to mention that she had another son that was probably closer to Sarah in age than her husband-to-be was.

Sarah nodded gently at her, not pressing the issue at all.

"How about you? Will I be meeting many of the Miller clan tomorrow?"

Sarah cast her eyes down for a moment, a fleeting shadow of sadness crossing her features, before shrugging casually.

"Unfortunately not. It's just me and Ray." There was a pause. "He's my step-dad." She explained, smiling at Norma suddenly. "But he pretty much raised me. He's the best."

There was another uncomfortable pause, where Norma wasn't sure what to say and Sarah seemed to take her silence as a prompt to fill her in on the rest of the story.

"My dad split when I was a baby, and then my mom met Ray and he pretty much raised me as his own. Him and my mom owned a restaurant and he taught me how to cook. They divorced when I was twelve, but... "There was a pause, where she swallowed hard, keeping her eyes focused down.

"My mom's new boyfriend was kind of a dick." She said, almost too casually.

Norma took a deep breath, observing the way Sarah's hands were clinging to the edge of the jacuzzi, her knuckles white, the muscles in her face tight from trying to keep up a normal expression. She knew it, because it was a face she used herself alot of the time and she feared she could guess what kind of man Sarah's mom's boyfriend had been. She pressed her lips together, watching as the girl silently pulled herself back together before continuing in a sunny voice.

"So I went to live with Ray again. He legally adopted me a year later and the rest is history!" She finished brightly, smiling sweetly at Norma, who reached across to pat her hand reassuringly.

"He sounds wonderful. I can't wait to meet him."

Sarah said nothing, smiling through unshed tears that she pretended weren't there, clasping Norma's hand gratefully.

"So there's my sad story." She said a little breathlessly, glancing at the empty glasses of orange juice next to the jacuzzi. "Right, I think it's time for a real drink!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I realised that they drink like ALOT in this fic, and I just wanted to clarify that this is not some intentional plot point - None of the characters have secret drink problems. They just seem like social situations were I personally might be driven to drink excessively. But then, I'm English, so I drink excessively just because it's tuesday sometimes. So.. yeah. :) Please don't worry about their drinking. (Though maybe worry about mine?)


	10. Chapter 10

Norma Bates was too hot, self-conscious and drunk. The day had started so well, with her and Sarah sharing an afternoon of sisters-in-law-to-be bonding in a jacuzzi, and Norma had let herself be lulled into a false sense of security. The "bachelorette party" wasn't going to be the wild last-night-of-freedom she had feared it might be - It was going to be a classy evening to follow a classy day. Right?

She should have known something was wrong when Sarah demanded to see the rest of the clothes she had brought with her, sighing impatiently as she cast each of Norma's demure, floral or adorable dresses aside.

"Don't you have anything a little..." Sarah cast around, staring unhappily at the pile of pastel fabric on the bed. "...shorter?"

Norma crossed her arms, taking a deep breath, reminding herself that the bride was always right.

"Not really. What exactly is wrong with my clothes?"

Sarah breathed out a sudden laugh, rearranging her grumpy little scowl into an awkward look of horror at having offended Norma.

"Oh my god! No!" She crossed the room to stand in front of Norma, grasping her elbows lightly. "I'm so sorry! That's not what I- Oh my goodness! No! I LOVE your clothes!"

Norma found herself smiling reluctantly at the girl's enthusiasm over her dress sense.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be rude." Sarah said, looking genuinely mortified. "Your little dresses are SO cute!"

Norma couldn't even feel patronised by her choice of words, raising one shoulder coyly, secretly flattered.

"It's just... you might look a little out of place... at the club."

"Club?" Norma picked up on the word immediately. "Club?" She repeated, incredulously. "Sarah, I am too old to go to a club."

"Well, not really. It's more of a bar." Sarah countered, turning back to Norma's case, avoiding eye contact. "Come on. Let's see if we can find you something in my closet..."

And that was how Norma found herself awkwardly leaning against a bar, in a place that definitely felt more like a club than a bar, tugging down the hemline of a much too short black dress. She glanced over to the group of girls on the dancefloor, keeping a motherly eyes on the increasingly drunk Sarah. Sarah's friends had been mostly lovely, though they all clearly knew each other and, despite their best efforts to include her, she had found herself on the peripherals of the group all night. Not that she minded all that much. She was quite content to sit back and watch the evening's frivolities unfold from a safe distance, occasionally waving off an invitation to "come dance with us!" or joining in on a round of tequila shots with the inebriated, shrieking mob. It was clearly that time again, as the swarm descended upon her again, crowding round her at the bar.

"You're missing all the fun!" A short brunette girl yelled loudly over the music.

"No, no. I'm having tons of fun." Norma said, her tone not deadpan enough for the girl to notice.

"Are you really?" Sarah slurred at her, appearing from between two blondes and linking her arm through Norma's. "Are you having fun? I'm worried you're not having fun."

"I am. I am." Norma assured her, casually taking the shot of tequila that had just been passed to Sarah out of her hand.

"I'm so glad. I like you alot!" Sarah said warmly, nuzzling her head against Norma's arm. "I'm not even mad you just took my shot off me." She slurred, grinning at her. "You have to drink it now though."

Norma hadn't had so much to drink that she felt drunk enough to stop drinking, but she had had enough that drinking Sarah's drinks seemed like a good idea. It was the most dangerous level of drunk to be. That was how Norma ended up leaning against the bar, her vision blurring, giving up completely on trying to keep her dress modest. Every time she pulled it down, the neckline slid down an inch too low, and every time she pulled it up, the hemline sprang up an inch too high. She couldn't win, so she eventually gave up. She had even danced, letting the enthusiastic brunette pull her onto the dancefloor, before quickly realising that it was a sweaty, groping claustrophobic hell and giving up, retreating back to the safety of the bar.

"Hey. Can I buy you a drink?" A tall, well-dressed man had appeared out of nowhere and was now leaning far too close to her, his gaze drifting down to her cleavage.

"No. No thank you. I already have one." She said politely, nodding down at her rum and coke. How many had she had now? God, she wanted nachos.

"Lemme get you another one lined up." He insisted, trying to get the bartender's attention.

"No, no really. I'm fine." She said. "Really."

"No, come on. One drink. Just one drink. What's the harm?"

"I'm just not interested. Sorry." Norma was sometimes polite to a fault, and as he leered at her, clearly thinking she was playing hard to get, she realised now was one of those times.

"Not interested, huh? Well, once you get to know me, I'm a pretty interesting guy-"

"I'm married. I have two children. My husband is a cop." The words tumbled out of her mouth, stringing together as one big slur and the man froze in place, after finally getting the bartender's attention. The bartender stood there expectantly, looking from Norma to the man in the suit, waiting for one of them to say anything.

"Er..." The man started, before Norma cut him off, glancing over her shoulder at where Sarah was shuffling in time to the music, her hair swinging wildly around her.

"Oh god." She muttered, noting that, as the night wore on, more and more of Sarah's friends had bowed out, leaving only a handful around the very inebriated bride.

"Hi. Can I get two waters?" Norma said sweetly. "And, do you sell nachos?" She blurted out.

The bartender laughed at her and shook his head, reaching for two bottles of water from the fridge. No nachos? This was definitely a club, not a bar. Once she had sobered up, she was going to have words with Sarah. She took the waters with a smile and jerked her head at the tall man who was still standing there awkwardly. "Thanks. He'll pay."

And with that, she turned and flounced away, pleased that she didn't stumble at the sudden movement. She reached Sarah after pushing her way through the thinning crowds on the dancefloor, immediately noticing something was wrong.

"Sarah?"

Sarah turned, looking up at her, her lashes wet with tears.

"What's wrong?" She started, as Sarah broke into a beaming smile at the sight of her, throwing her arms round her neck.

"Sarah? Honey?" She tried again, shouting in her ear over the terrible booming bass. "What's the matter?" She made eye contact with the last of Sarah's two friends, who shrugged at her helplessly.

She felt Sarah shake her head against her shoulder and mumble something she couldn't hear over the music.

"Ok." She hugged her back as best she could with the bottles of water still in her hand. "I'm gonna take her home." She shouted at the two girls, starting to pull Sarah away from the dancefloor, before turning back slightly. "Are you two gonna be ok?" Her mothering instincts kicked in, running an appraising eye over them both as they nodded at her.

She managed to manoeuvre Sarah over to a quieter corner and sat her down, crouching awkwardly in front of her as she tried to stop her dress from riding up too much.

"Sarah? Honey?" Sarah raised her head a little, her mascara running under her eyes, her head a blonde mass of curls in the humidity. "What's wrong?"

She gazed back at her, dazed.

"I just... I just love him so much." She said, sniffling, her bottom lip trembling.

"Ohh.." Norma breathed out. "Yeah. He's great, huh?" She smiled at her, brushing her hair out of her eyes.

She nodded, wiping her nose on the back of her hand.

"Yeah. He's so great. He's been so patient with me." She breathed out, with a little hiccup. "And he looks after me. He'd never let anything bad happen to me."

Norma didn't want to think too much about what that meant, or why Sarah suddenly looked so haunted, so she just brushed another wild tendril of hair behind her ear, slipping her phone out of her purse.

"And now you get to marry him. Isn't that great?" Norma said gently, watching as her face lit up.

"I wanna see him!" She announced, trying to stand but falling back down onto the booth seating.

"Ok. Just... stay." Norma commanded, ringing the only person she could think of to help.

"Alex?" She bit her lip, nervously. For all she knew, the boys had been back home for hours, maybe asleep, maybe staying up, worrying about her and Sarah.

There was a long pause, and she really did start to think he'd been asleep, before she realised she could hear music in the background.

"Er... yeah?" He sounded like he wasn't sure.

"It's Norma...?" She ventured, slightly distracted as Sarah chose that moment to slump back in the corner of the booth.

"Hi Norma." He said simply and she frowned as she leaned forward on her knees, to try and pull Sarah back up.

"Alex? I need you to come get us. Is Gabriel with you?"

"Gabriel?" He repeated slowly. "Yeah. Yeah, he's here. You wanna talk to him?"

"What? No. Just... we're at a club called Renegades or something? Can you come get us?"

"Er... yeah?" He said, slowly again and she sighed.

"Are you drunk?"

"Yeah." He muttered down the phone, without skipping a beat. "Are you?"

She glanced at Sarah, who was trying to curl her feet up under her on the seat, her eyes half closed, grabbing her foot to stop her. She wasn't as wasted as the crying blonde in front of her, but as she stumbled to her feet unsteadily, she recognised that she had still had way too much to drink.

"Er.. yes. Yes I am."

There was a sharp intake of breath and then she heard Gabriel's voice muttering something she couldn't quite hear.

"We'll be right there." And then he hung up, and she was left wondering if she'd made the right decision. She bent down to hand Sarah the bottle of water.

"Here. Drink this. You'll feel better." She murmured, pleased when Sarah opened her eyes and took the water without argument.

There was a movement behind her and she straightened up, her back bumping into someone's chest, someone who was standing way too close for comfort.

"Hey there, Mrs Cop." A voice in her ear said, and she sighed, stepping away from his proximity, turning to fix him with a glare.

"Hello again." She said coolly, staring at the tall man from the bar.

"How're those waters working out for you?" He said, grinning at her, letting his eyes drift down to her chest. She crossed her arms across herself, shuffling to stand protectively in front of her friend. She said nothing for a moment, hoping he'd get the message, rolling her eyes when he continued to smile at her idiotically.

"Look, I told you. I'm married. If you like, I will reimburse you for the bottles of water."

"No need." He held up his hand graciously, like he was doing her some big favour. "Just wanted to make sure you were alright."

"What a gentleman." She deadpanned back at him, narrowing her eyes as he leaned to the side to glance at Sarah.

"Your friend doesn't look too good. She ok?"

"She's fine." She shot back immediately, hoping that Sarah was still conscious behind her.

"Hey, is she married too?"

Norma rolled her eyes, letting her disgust take over her face.

"Ok, ok. That's enough." She snapped, reaching forward to gently push the man out of her and Sarah's little corner booth, surprised when he went easily, holding his hands up in mock surrender.

She turned back to Sarah, relieved to find her still sitting up, calmly sipping on water, her hands shaking slightly.

"Who's your friend?" She asked, smiling up at Norma.

"Oh him? He's just a real swell guy I met at the bar. I'm thinking of leaving Alex for him." Norma joked back, licking her thumb and reaching out to rub at the mascara tracks underneath Sarah's eyes, the unconscious act of a mother. Sarah held her face up like a child, and let Norma clean her up as best she could, trying to make her a little more presentable and a little less dishevelled.

She was bending down again, finally finishing trying to smooth Sarah's hair into something resembling her usual perfect curls, when she felt a hand grasp at her hip and she straightened immediately, her hands balling into fists by her sides. This guy just didn't know when enough was enough. In a split second her elbow was poised, ready to strike right in the gut when she froze, recognising the cologne.

"Jesus, Norma." Alex's voice slurred right against her ear, one hand snaking across her stomach, pulling her back against him. "What are you wearing?" He mumbled, his other hand dropping to her thigh, pulling uselessly at the hemline, trying to tug it down. She would have objected to him pulling at her dress, had her drunken body not been so distracted by the feel of him against her back, his hand hot through the thin fabric of Sarah's dress.

"Where is my bride?" A dramatic voice boomed out from behind them, and Alex moved away suddenly, Norma already missing the contact, and she turned, stepping to the side to reveal where Sarah was sat. They reunited like lovers who had been kept apart for many months, not just for a few drunken hours, and he swept her up into his arms, ignoring her drunken cries of: "You're not supposed to see me before the wedding!"

"We're drunk! It doesn't count!" He mumbled back at her, wrapping an arm around her and supporting her as they made their way out of the club, apparently forgetting Norma and Alex were there.

"Hi." She said, suddenly shy, as she self-consciously pulled at her dress, crossing her arms in front of herself. His eyes raked up and down, his eyebrows lifting as he took her all in.

"Hi yourself." He smirked at her. "Good night?"

"Oh the best." She shot back, smiling at him. "You?"

"Oh it's been great." They smiled at each other, before he glanced around the club, which was rapidly emptying as the night drew on. "You ready?"

She nodded, gratefully to be leaving the "bar" and turned to leave, surprised when Alex reached out to take her hand, strolling out with her.

They caught up to Sarah and Gabe, who were now waiting by the curb, laughing hysterically with each other, and Norma could hardly believe that it was the same girl who'd been crying her eyes out ten minutes ago. Alex and Norma were a few feet away, when Gabe managed to flag down a taxi, clumsily folding Sarah into it, before falling in himself, her laughter a piercing giggle now.

They shared a moment of unspoken communication as they both halted in their tracks, letting the taxi drive away without them in it. As they saw a heeled foot spring up suddenly, accompanied by a loud shriek of laughter, then decided they'd made the right choice.

They suddenly felt very alone on the sidewalk, glancing shyly at each other as they watched the car drive away, both hoping the taxi driver didn't have CCTV in the back.

"We'll get the next one." Norma said brightly, feeling slightly more sober in the fresh night air. It was much cooler than the night before, some of the heat of the day actually burning off, leaving a slight chill now they were outside. She shivered.

"Are you cold?" He asked, slipping his jacket off before she could even answer. "Here." He wrapped his jacket around her shoulders, pulling her so she turned to face him directly, his hands tugging the front of the jacket to pull her closer. She snuggled gratefully into the warmth gazing up at him, finally noticing the dazed expression on his face as he looked her up and down.

"How much have you had to drink?" She said suspiciously.

Alex panted out a short laugh, looking down at his feet guiltily.

"Too much." He admitted, his voice slurring a little.

"Same." She agreed, licking her lips and still tasting salt and lime on them. His eyes flicked down to watch as her tongue darted out.

"What are you wearing?" He asked the same question from earlier, his hands never letting go of the front of the jacket keeping it wrapped around her, keeping her pulled close against him.

"It's Sarah's." She admitted shyly, rolling her eyes. "She insisted."

He said nothing for a moment, so he batted his hands away from the front of the jacket, letting the sides fall open to he could get a better look at her. She batted her eyelashes up at him, biting her lip coyly as he hungrily looked her up and down.

"Why? Don't you like it?"

"No." He said immediately, and her face fell, immediately wrapping his leather jacket back around herself, turning away from him just as a taxi rolled down the street.

"Taxi!" She flagged it down, sliding in before he could say another word, turning her face haughtily to glare out of the window, her arms crossed across her chest. He told the driver the address, and then she heard him click off the intercom, so the driver couldn't hear them.

"You're mad." He stated simply and she said nothing, just let her foot tap against the floor.

"Because I don't like the dress." He said, and she wasn't sure if it was a question or a statement so she continued to say nothing.

She felt him shuffle closer to her, sliding across the seat to sit right next to her.

"I don't like it, because it's not you." He clarified, his words definitely slurring now. "I like how you usually dress." She softened slightly, though continued facing out of the window.

"But... you do look good." His hand came to rest on her knee and she jumped, not expecting it. His hand slid an inch higher, slowly, like he was testing the water. "I just don't like the idea of other men looking at you... Wanting you." She knew he was emboldened by the alcohol in his system, and that his newfound burst of honesty wouldn't last, but she still found her eyes drifting shut at his words. Possessiveness was usually such a turn off, but, as his hand drifted higher, sliding gently up her thigh, she couldn't help but find his jealousy hot. She almost wanted to tell him about the guy from the bar, just to see what he'd do, but she didn't.

She sucked in a deep breath as his hand reached the top of her thigh, his knuckles brushing against her underwear, making her unconsciously lick her lips. There were a million reasons not to do this. Their marriage was fake, he was cheating on their fake marriage with some redhead, she had made him think she had slept with him out of obligation just because he hurt her feelings, they were drunk, she had issues, they were in the back of a taxi, but, as his fingertips traced the edge of her panties, his chest hard against her shoulder, her thighs naturally dropping open for him, she couldn't find the will to stop.

Her head turned of it's own accord, kissing him aggressively before she could stop herself. It was sloppy and drunken and her hands came out to clutch at his shirt before wrenching herself away to make sure the taxi driver was keeping his eyes on the road. He didn't seem to have noticed anything, or if he had, he was keeping his eyes conspicuously on the road as he kissed her again, his fingers grazing lightly across her panties, making her gasp into his mouth.

"You taste like whiskey." She panted out. "And cigars." She tried to make her tone disapproving, pretending she didn't find it kinda hot. He tasted dangerous, and intoxicating and she licked his lip trying to get more.

"You taste like lime." He slurred back at her, and she grinned.

"We went to a strip club." He murmured against her jaw as he kissed her there, and she pulled back immediately, fixing him with a hard glare.

"I don't want to hear that." She snapped, using her grip on his shirt to give him a little shake.

"No, no..." He started, leaning forward to sloppily kiss her neck again, pleased when she grumpily let him. "I didn't like it."

She tutted at him. That wasn't really good enough.

"None of them were as beautiful as you." He stuttered against her throat, and despite herself, she smiled, not letting him see.

"I'm prettier than a stripper? Well, high praise indeed!" She joked, gasping as he growled, shifting to press her against the corner of the backseat, his arm curling around her back, holding her close to him.

"Take the compliment Norma." He muttered, his tongue darting out to lick at her collarbone, making her suck in a little hiss that had him smiling.

Feeling bold, she reached down, sliding his hand back up her thigh, letting her legs drop open again as his knuckled gently skimmed the outside of her underwear, shivering as he did so. His thumb suddenly flexed out, pressing down hard against her and she bucked, biting her lip to stop from crying out at the sudden pressure. She glanced uneasily at the front of the taxi, before pushing his hand away very suddenly, squirming to sit up properly in her seat. He sank back as she batted his hands away, not fighting it as she pushed him back to sit over on his side of the backseat.

Glancing over, she noticed him staring out of the window, a confused little frown pulling on his face, his hands flexing in his lap like they couldn't figure out what they'd done wrong.

She reached over to squeeze his thigh, realising he thought they were done, that she wanted him to stop.

"Not in the back of a taxi..." She whispered, flicking her gaze to the driver behind the plexiglass, then gazing back at him, her eyes dark with desire, biting her lip.

He nodded, a smile slowly spreading over his face, as they realised they were already pulling up Gabe and Sarah's drive.

She slipped out first, taking her heels off to sprint up the drive to wait by the door for him, while he paid the taxi driver. She was fumbling with the spare key they had been given and didn't hear him come up behind her until he wrapped an arm around her, one hand snaking under his jacket to rest just under her ribcage, the other pressing against the side of her thigh, the same position as when he'd found her in the club.

He pressed a line of soft kisses from her earlobe down the side of her neck and her head fell back, giving him better access, letting her eyes fall closed. One hand slid from her thigh to her hand, taking the now forgotten key out of her hand.

"Here. Let me." He whispered, suddenly pulling away from her, and stepping around her to open the door. He fumbled with the unfamiliar lock for a moment, giving Norma a chance to catch her breath. She chewed her lip thoughtfully.

This was happening. They were going to do this. And she wanted to this time. She really wanted to. So why, when he finally got the door open, and let it swing open triumphantly, did she feel a tiny pang of familiar dread course through her?

Stop it. She told herself. You're doing this. And you're going to like it.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TRIGGER WARNING

It seemed that Norma's little pep talk to herself had been largely unnecessary, as she laced her fingers through his, pulling him up the stairs, giggling like some lovestruck teenager. His jacket slid off her shoulders and she turned to walk up the last few steps backwards, throwing the jacket to the side, in what she hoped was a seductive fashion. She reached the top step and stumbled slightly, her drunk feet failing her in the dark, and he caught her, literally sweeping her off her feet, holding her up like she was light as a feather. Her legs wrapped around his waist automatically, feeling her tight dress ride up as she did so, not caring at all as he easily carried her the last few feet to their room, shushing each other's giggles the whole way.

He rested her against the doorframe for a moment to reach for the handle to their room, and she leaned back, taking the moment to gaze at him, taking him all in. She let one of her hands slide round from the back of his neck to cup his face, dragging his attention back to her, as she smiled at him dreamily, her eyes flicking from his long lashes to his lips and back again.

"Ya know, you're kinda beautiful." She whispered thoughtfully.

He laughed, and from where she was wrapped around him, his weight pressing her lightly against the doorframe, she felt the vibrations through her whole body.

"I'm not gonna like that you said that to me tomorrow."

She smiled at him, her gaze flickering back down to his lips for a second before leaning forward to capture them again. One arm slid to the underside of her thigh, holding her up as her knees went weak around his waist, while the other fumbled for the door handle, before Gabe or Sarah ventured out of their room and were treated to a show.

He fell through the door, almost dropping her as he tripped over the carpet, accidentally kicking the door shut too hard behind him as he stumbled over to the bed. Her grip tightened around him, but if she was at all alarmed at his erratic movements, she didn't let on, never ceasing her ferocious assault on his mouth. He had intended to lay her down gently on the bed, but that damn area rug had other ideas, and, just as he thought he was free of it, his feet were tangled in it and they fell onto the bed, him landing on top of her roughly.

She let out a shrill gasp, and he pulled back immediately, staring down at her with concern.

"Sorry." He breathed out, watching as she gazed up at him with an unreadable expression. "You ok?"

She nodded brightly, and reached for him again, frowning when he pulled back slightly.

"How drunk are you?" He asked suddenly, ironically slurring more than she was.

She rolled her eyes at him, letting her fingers drift down to toy with his collar.

"Don't worry, Sheriff. I'm in complete control of my actions." She said, almost completely believing it. He stared down at her like he wasn't entirely sure still, and she sighed.

"You're drunker than I am." She pointed out, which was only marginally true, but he didn't need to know that. "If anything, I'm taking advantage of you." She whispered, pleased when he shuddered at her words.

That was all he needed to hear, and he was kissing her before she knew what was happening, his hands clutching at her, roaming from the sides of her face to grab at her breast through her dress. She moaned, for real this time, because she was too drunk to shut down and not feel anything. At the same time though, a familiar sense of panic was bubbling up through her chest, making her unsure whether her panting was anxiety or excitement. He was drunk, so he was sloppier this time, not touching her as delicately, kissing her hungrily, his heavy body pressing her into the mattress. She kissed him back, trying to ignore the taste of whiskey, winding her arms around his neck, pretending not to feel the the rising sense of panic spreading through her.

His hand dropped to her side, clawing at her hem to pull it up over her hip and he groaned as he ground himself against her, his fingers pressing hard against her hip bone.

"Oh god," he slurred, his breath hot against her ear and Norma suppressed a sob that she didn't quite understand. She could feel her arousal growing, she wanted him, she wanted this, but her body was betraying her. Her hand on his shoulder was starting to shake, and the feel of his weight pressing her down was becoming oppressive, even though he wasn't actually hurting her at all. She closed her eyes tightly, hoping that Alex wouldn't notice the single tear that ran down her face as she tried to shake this foreboding feeling.

He wont hurt you. He's a good man.

Yes he will, they all do in the end.

This time, when her eyes flew open, it wasn't Alex's sleepy, drunken face above her, but Sam's, scowling down at her, his mouth twisted into a cruel sneer. His hands shot out to roughly grab at her wrists, pinning them above her head, his fingers digging in much too hard to her soft skin.

She pressed her eyes together tightly, trying to ignore the tears that seeped from them now, the smell of whiskey and cigarette smoke taking her back to a time that she mostly pretended had never happened. Her chest tightened unbearably, and her lungs heaved to pull in air as her breathless panting turned into a real struggle for oxygen.

"No!" She screamed, before she could process what was real and what wasn't.

Her eyes flew open as she struggled to take a breath, beginning to hyperventilate as his weight became unbearable. Numbly, she registered that he had stopped moving, that her hands were no longer pinned, but that he was simply holding her hands either side of her head. She immediately wasn't sure if her hands had ever really been pinned down at all, or if she was just reliving a memory she had long forgotten. All of this came secondary to her need for oxygen though, her fragile body betraying her, frozen in place as her lungs burned. Her eyes darted wildly around the room, coming to land on Alex's terrified face gazing down at her. His mouth was moving, but she couldn't hear anything he was saying, her own frantic heartbeat the only sound whooshing in her ears.

"Norma? Norma? Talk to me, baby." Alex pleaded, his hands moving from where they had been intertwined with her fingers to gently cup her face. He sounded so far away. In some ways, she wished he was. "Look at me. Please."

The feel of his hands against her cheeks was too much, too intimate, too intense, and Norma did the opposite of what he asked, since her vision was blurring, the room starting to swim as black spots danced in front of her eyes. She squeezed her eyes shut, and was immediately able to pull in a breath again. Gasping, she managed a few shallow gulps of air, before opening her eyes again to see Caleb's young, tearstreaked face staring down at her desperately.

"Please, Norma Louise..."

His hand flew up to clamp over her mouth and she was screaming and screaming and scratching wildly at him because this was over, because no-one could hurt her like this again, because she was different and she would fight back now. Her hips bucked wildly and she managed to bend her leg up under him and get enough purchase to kick at him with all her strength, immediately relieved when he was off her and she could breath normally again.

She lay still for a moment, panting heavily as her breathing starting to return to normal, her heartbeat slowly steadying again, her tears drying on her cheeks. In the few seconds she lay there, the fog that had clouded her mind started to lift and she began to feel like something was wrong.

It was only when she heard a groan from the floor beside the bed, a groan that definitely wasn't Caleb or Sam, that she realised. Her hands came up to cover her eyes as she relived the past 30 seconds. Was that all it had been? It had felt like hours, but when she tried to make sense of it, it must have been less than a minute.

There was another soft noise of discomfort from the floor, and she realised she couldn't hide forever. What should she say to him? What could she say? She felt embarrassed and guilty. Alex was such a good guy - He shouldn't have to put up with her crazy outbursts. Oh god, maybe Norman was right? Maybe she was crazy?

A knock at the door broke her out of her reverie and she would have happily died on the spot rather than listen to the sound of Alex scrambling to his feet and lurching to the door. Don't answer it, she wanted to say, but that would involve speaking, and she wasn't sure she could do anything other than lie perfectly still, her hands firmly clamped across her closed eyes.

The door creaked open, and the only comfort in Norma's life was that she was sure that from the angle of the door, whoever was at the door couldn't see the bed. Even if they could, she didn't have the strength or the will to move out of sight.

"Erm... hey." She recognised Gabe's voice, could hear the awkward smile in his voice. "Everything ok in here?"

"Yeah, yeah. We're fine." Alex rushed out, sounding a little breathless. The door creaked as if he had tried to half close it.

"Ok. It's just.. Sarah heard screaming and..." Gabe chuckled, lowering his tone to a stage whisper. "I told her I'm sure it was just newlyweds being newlyweds, but, you know, she worries..."

"Oh. No, no. Norma just saw a giant moth." Alex said, lying smoothly, despite saying the stupidest thing any of them had ever heard. "She's terrified of moths. She didn't realise how big they get down here. It must be the humidity." He added, unnecessarily, because he was now an expert on moths.

"Giant moth, huh?" Gabe nodded, like he was mulling it over, before letting his gaze drift down to Alex's appearance pointedly. Alex didn't dare follow his gaze, so he just stared back at him blankly. "Alrighty then. Well, you kids sleep well." Norma could almost hear the wink he gave, before he retreated, Alex shutting the door softly with a click.

Letting her hands slide slowly down her face, Norma finally let her eyes flutter open, taking in the sight of Alex leaning against the door, his eyes closed, his head tilted back as he tried to regain his composure. It only took a glance at him to see why Gabe hadn't believed his compelling and well-thought-out giant moth story. His shirt was hanging off him, some of the buttons clearly ripped off, his face was flushed, her lipstick was smeared all over his mouth and jawline and he was still panting lightly. But most damning of all, and most mortifying to Norma were the set of angry red scratch marks running from his collarbone down his chest.

Her hand flew to her mouth in horror and the sudden movement caught his attention and they just stared at each other for what felt like a long time.

What must he think of her?

He took a small step towards her and she flinched, before scrambling up the bed to sit against the headboard before she could stop herself. She wasn't afraid of him, not really, but she just didn't know what to expect and had reacted instinctively to his step towards her. Immediately, his face crumpled and she knew she had made the wrong move.

"Are you alright?" He asked, so softly she almost didn't hear him. He held his hands up, his palms outstretched, the way you might approach an injured animal.

She nodded, not trusting herself to speak, her fingers toying nervously with the bottom of her dress, tugging it down to cover her thigh again. There was a long silence, and it became obvious he was waiting for her to say something, perhaps offer an explanation.

"I'm so sorry, Alex." She whispered, her voice shaking, as the tears threatened to fall again.

"What for?" He took another tiny step towards her, noting that she didn't flinch this time.

She pointed at his chest, at the ugly red scratches, biting her trembling lip. Of course, she was sorry for much more than just scratching him, but the scratches were all she could focus on right now.

"It's nothing," he said easily, shaking his head.

"No, no it's not." Her voice broke as she stared at her fingers, her tears beginning to fall.

"I hurt you. That's not ok."

She sounded like a lost little girl and it was all Alex could do not to swoop in and take her in his arms and stroke her hair and press soft kisses against her forehead until she stopped crying. But he already knew that wasn't the right thing to do right now so he just sat down gingerly on the very furthest corner of the bed, his hands twitching as he yearned to reach out and touch her.

"What just happened, Norma?"

She looked up at him, her mouth hanging open helplessly, tears now running openly down her face. Her eyes darted wildly around the room and he realised that she didn't seem to have much of a better idea of what had just happened than he did.

"I..." She started, her voice cracking.

He scooted an inch towards her on the bed, pleased when she didn't recoil from him.

"It's ok. It's ok." He whispered soothingly. "You don't have to tell me. You don't have to talk about it. It's ok."

She nodded gratefully at him, biting her lip again and sniffling deeply.

"I'm going to go sleep downstairs-" He started, quietly, as he moved to get up.

"No!" She cut him off, her tone desperate. "No, please. I'm sorry."

She thought he was angry. He hated himself in that moment.

"Please. Please don't go. I'm sorry." She was almost begging and Alex had never felt so helpless in all of his life. He wished he knew what the right thing to do was.

"Ok, ok." He muttered, holding his hands up again. He glanced around the room, before landing on the big plush arm chair to the side of the bed. It was the sort of chair that found it's way into a guest bedroom and was never actually sat on. Even now, it had just become a home for her coat, unneeded in the Florida heat. He moved her jacket, hanging it on the closet door, before settling into the seat, pleasantly surprised with how comfortable it was. Norma watched him the whole time, her expression unreadable.

"Ok?" He asked, glancing over at her. She nodded, before settling down in the bed, suddenly exhausted by the whole night.

"Ok." She repeated, before flicking the light off very abruptly and lying very still in the darkness. If he was at all surprised by the fact that they seemed to be done talking and were going to just go to sleep, he didn't let on at all.

She didn't know how long she lay there, listening to his breathing and the occasional creak of the chair as he settled in. It could have been hours, but she wasn't sure, as she replayed the nights events over and over in her mind.

She spoke very suddenly, addressing the ceiling, before she even realised she was speaking outloud.

"I used to have sex with my brother." The words rang out startling loud in the darkness, and the sounds from the chair stopped completely for a second. She was scared she'd killed him, shocked him to death, before she heard him let out a long, low breath.

"Our father was..." She cleared her throat, not wanting to remember what their father was. "Our childhood was not good. And we were all we had. And we were young and got confused." That was an excuse and sounded weak even to her own ears. "We loved each other." She corrected herself, the words tumbling out with no emotion.

She turned her head to look in the direction of the chair, but couldn't make anything out in the gloom. Maybe he had fallen asleep. She almost wished he had.

"I loved him." She reiterated, more to herself than to him. There were days when she forgot that she really had been in love with him, and then caught herself and remembered how happy she had been back then. The thought made her sick. "But I wanted to stop. It had to stop. And he got angry. And he raped me." She listed the facts unemotionally, though there were tears silently streaming down her cheeks. She wiped them away quietly, not wanting Alex to know she was crying again, although the idea that she might be embarrassed to be crying seemed preposterous considering what she was telling him.

"We were always so careful. So careful. But... he was so angry. And I tried to tell him but he put his hand over my mouth and he... he forgot." There was a long pause. "He's Dylan's father." There was an unmistakable gasp from the chair now, informing her that he definitely wasn't asleep, that he was really hearing what she was telling him.

"But I got over it." She said, pressing her lips together for a moment to stop the tremble there. She had really believed that once, when she had fallen in love with Sam and run off with him, that she was over it - That she was going to be fine now. "I was ok for a while. I moved on. And then Sam started drinking. And he'd get rough..." She paused as the shake in her voice grew too much. "He would get drunk. And he would force himself on me. And if I said no, he would hit me. So I just stopped saying no."

There was a very quiet sniffle from the chair and then the sound of a slight shuffling movement, and she pressed her eyes closed tightly, not wanting to witness it if he was getting up to leave the room. She wouldn't blame him, of course.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I'm sorry you didn't know who you were marrying." She added quickly, the words spilling out too fast, trying to tell him before he got up and left.

She flinched as she felt a movement on the bed next to her, as his hand swept across the sheet, eventually finding hers in the darkness. He clung to her hand desperately, like she was going to disappear, and then she felt him press a soft kiss to her knuckles, his face wet as it brushed across her skin.

Norma rolled onto her side, finally releasing the body wrenching sobs that she'd been holding in since she started speaking, pulling his hand close to her, clutching it against her chest like it was her lifeline.

"I'm sorry." She whispered, over and over again, between sobs.

"You're ok. You're safe. It's ok," he muttered, squeezing her hand, feeling more helpless than he ever had done in his life. "You're safe now. It's ok." He repeated over and over again, until her sobs subsided and she eventually fell into a fitful sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was SUCH a tough chapter to write. I know some people might be kinda mad because they came so close and then I ripped happiness away from them again, but trust me - Eventually, things are going to be ok. It's just gonna take a while to get there. (Or maybe I'll kill Norma off... who knows?)
> 
> Coupla things - Someone asked me how long this was gonna be and I thought I'd share my answer with the rest of the class in case anyone is curious. I think it's going to end up being between 25 and 30 chapters in the end. It's hard to tell because I keep coming up with random little ideas and slotting in additional little chapters here and there.
> 
> Which brings me to my next point - If anyone has anything they'd like to see, lemme know. I can't promise anything, because ALOT of the story is already written, so there are only opportunities for certain things to end up in there, but if anyone has any ideas that I can reasonably work in, I'll definitely try my best.
> 
> Lastly, just wanna say a BIG thank you to all my reviewers! I have a handful of super loyal reviewers and I honestly look forward to hearing from you all so much. It means so much that anyone would take the time out of their day to let me know their thoughts on my writing. I'm considering a kinda cute idea to say thank you in a few chapters time. :)


	12. Chapter 12

Alex woke alone, his hand outstretched across the bed, apparently still reaching for her in his sleep. He sat up groggily, scrubbing his hand through his hair, licking his lips, trying to get some saliva into his incredibly dry mouth. Oh god, did he smoke a cigar last night?

Peering bleerily around the room, he stretched in the chair, trying to stretch out the ache that spread from his back to his neck. He felt his neck crack and groaned. This was apparently the price he paid for sleeping in a chair, bent forwards, leaning across a bed all night. He froze, mid-stretch, his hungover brain only just remembering why he had slept like that, his eyes darting around the room, looking for her. The bathroom door was wide open and he could see she wasn't there, and when he glanced to the closet, he could see the garment bag full of lilac chiffon was gone too.

His mind swam as he remembered the evening, his memory going hazy and fading out during their time at the strip club. His first clear memory had been coming up behind Norma in that awful club, putting his hands around her possessively, pulling her against him, just wanting to cover her from the prying eyes of the men around them. Everything after that was almost crystal clear, her panic attack, her sobs, her revelations, all ringing in his ears still. He never would have grabbed her, never would have let his drunk hands run all over her had he known. She must hate him.

A knock at the door broke his depressing reverie and he jumped, glancing up to see Gabe standing in his doorway.

"Morning buddy." Gabe said quietly, glancing down at where Alex was sitting, still wearing the same clothes he had been wearing last night, quite clearly having slept in the chair. If he noticed or thought it was strange at all, he didn't say so, and Alex was grateful for that.

"Rough night?" Was all he said on the matter, not pressing it at all when Alex simply nodded.

"Coffee?" He held out a steaming cup and Alex had never been so grateful to see a cup of caffeine in his life.

He crossed the room, handing him the coffee and sitting down gingerly on the bed, like he was waiting for Alex to say something. Alex said nothing, just took a long sip of his coffee, immediately feeling better, some of the whiskey fog lifting.

"The girls left already. Apparently Sarah's hair and make up is going to take two trained professional and four other women somewhere in the region of three hours."

Gabe rolled his eyes, laughing to himself, noticing Alex's strange expression at the mention of their significant others.

"Everything ok?" Gabe said quietly, casting his eyes down at the floor, clearly not thrilled at the prospect of having a real man-chat about Feelings.

"Yeah. Why wouldn't it be?" Alex answered automatically, watching as Gabriel nodded disbelievingly, looking half relieved, half disappointed, since everything was clearly not ok.

"Ok. No reason." He said quietly.

There was a long pause, where Alex just carried on drinking his coffee, and Gabriel kept fiddling with the bed sheet, folding it and smoothing it out over and over again.

"You gave her mom's ring." He said suddenly, and Alex nearly spat out his mouthful of coffee.

"Er... yeah." It hadn't been a question, but he felt compelled to answer it anyway. He had never felt any guilt about his and Norma's marriage. Sure, it was technically fraud, and he was the Sheriff and it was illegal. He knew there'd be hell to pay when Norman found out, and he knew he'd broken Rebecca's heart. But none of that had ever bothered him. He'd never felt guilt about any of it. Until this moment. A flicker of guilt ran through him as he thought of their mother's ring on Norma's finger.

"I didn't think-" He started awkwardly, before Gabe cut him off.

"No, no. That's not why I mentioned it." He said hastily, nodding reassuringly at Alex. "I just... I know what that ring means to you. I never thought I'd see the day you'd give it up."

Alex breathed out a soft laugh, remembering the way Rebecca had always coveted it, strolling around his bedroom wrapped in nothing but a sheet, making thinly veiled jokes about he should just "make an honest woman" of her. He usually got tired of watching her paw through his stuff like she owned the place, acting like they were something real, and went to sleep, oblivious to her hurt until he woke the next day to an empty bed. It had literally never even crossed his mind before to give his mom's ring to a woman before Norma. And yet, with her, even though it was fake marriage, he hadn't hesitated. He only realised how strange that was now.

"I never met anybody worthy of it before." He said honestly, feeling a little bashful at talking about a family trinket like it was Excalibur.

"Norma's pretty special." Gabriel said sweetly, and Alex found himself smiling back, not realising how much his brother's approval meant to him.

"Yes. She is." He nodded gratefully at him, before letting out a little laugh, clapping Gabriel on the shoulder. "Jesus! We're talking about the wrong woman here! You're getting married in a few hours!"

Gabe clapped himself on the forehead, like he was dumbstruck.

"Shit! I clear forgot!" He laughed, springing up off the bed and sprinting for the door, pausing to lean back dramatically in the doorway.

"Come help me lace up my dress in a minute? And don't you dare start crying on me..."

Alex laughed at him, shaking his head as he kept talking as he walked down the hall.

"Cause if you cry, then I'm gonna cry and I JUST did my mascara."

Alex rolled his eyes and cast a glance around the empty room, the smile falling from his face now Gabe was gone, glancing at the bed uneasily. It was with a heavy heart that he started getting ready to join the wedding party, trying to figure out what the hell to say to his wife.

* * *

 

Sarah had three of her closest friends as her bridesmaids, dressed in an unusually pretty shade of soft turquois-ey blue that somehow seemed to suit them all. Despite this, she only seemed to want Norma's help, and if the other girls were put out by this newcomer usurping them, they did a fantastic job of hiding it.

"Norma?" Sarah's voice rang out through the hotel room for the hundredth time in the past hour, and Norma swept across the room, like a wave of calm washing over the frantic girl.

"Yeah?" She said, appearing behind her in the mirror and smiling calmly at her.

"Can you possibly get me a glass of champagne?" Sarah asked sweetly, clapping her hands together as Norma lifted her hand to reveal a glass of champagne already there. "And also, do you know where my flower thingy is? I put it down somewhere and.." She trailed off as Norma produced the "flower thingy" from behind her back, handing her them both before leaning down to press her hands against her shoulders, smiling at her in the mirror.

"You look so beautiful." Norma said warmly, watching as Sarah's face softened, some of the panic disappearing as she grinned back at her.

Norma managed to keep busy enough that her mind couldn't wander to the events of the night before, the only reminder being the occasional waves of queasiness that washed over her every now and again. The rest of the girls seemed fine, except for the little brunette, Hanna, who was mostly green and kept saying "Where did this bruise come from?" every few minutes. It was only when the make up girl and the guy doing the hair grabbed her as she passed, plonking her down on a stool that she actually stopped moving.

"Oh. No, no. I'm not part of the wedding party." She protested, trying to stand up, pouting as they both pushed her back down.

"You sure about that, honey?" The gum-chewing woman asked, smirking over at the man with the shock of bleach-blonde hair.

"I swear to God, if you think I'm the mother of the bride, I'm gonna cry." Norma started, her tone accusing, and they both laughed at her.

"You kidding? With that skin?" The man piped up, pressing a tan hand against her pale face, making her jump a little. "You're like a little doll!"

"You look like you ain't never seen the sun in your life." Norma wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not, so she just raised her eyebrows and shrugged a little.

They both peered at her, and she shrank a little under the scrutiny.

"We don't get many sunny days in Oregon..." She started, and they laughed, the girl reaching over for her makeup kit.

"No, really. It's ok. I'm not one of the bridesmaids or anything..." Norma started politely, before they shushed her.

"Shush now. You're more a part of the wedding party than that one." The girl pointed a long black fingernail over at the brunette in the corner, who was now clutching a fizzing glass of alka-seltzer, staring down at it while apparently giving herself some kind of pep talk. Norma suppressed a smile, glancing over at Sarah who seemed momentarily content with the other two girls fussing around her.

"Ok then." She nodded, closing her eyes while they immediately started to work on her. It was a decision she regretted almost straight away, as sitting still and quiet allowed her mind to drift to the events of last night. She had been rushing around all morning, distracting herself from remembering the night before, but now she had stopped, it all caught up with her. Fighting to keep her expression neutral, she relived her confession, all the things she wished she'd never said, all the emotions she could never quite understand. She dreaded seeing Alex, dreaded seeing the pity and misery that would no doubt cloud his features now. They would probably cloud his features every time he looked at her from now on, melancholy filling his eyes every time he took her in, always remembering what had happened to her. He'd never want to touch her again, in case she had a panic attack, or freaked out again. Ugh, why did she drink so much? Why did she let things get so far? Why was she always like this? If she'd kept her mouth shut, everything would have been fine.

"Hun? Hun, you ok?" She suddenly became aware that a voice was cutting through her dark thoughts, and she let her eyes flicker open, realising that the girl had stopped applying make up and was gazing at her worriedly. The hands working on her hair ceased too, and a streak of bright blonde hair appeared in her peripheral as he leaned round her to stare at her.

"Yeah... Yeah. I'm just hungover." She said, grinning slightly, and they both gasped at her.

"Hungover and your skin still looks like that?" The man trilled in her ear. "I hate you."

They laughed, and Norma bit her lip, trying to ground herself. She would not get lost in her own thoughts today. It was Sarah's day. Not hers.

Norma managed to remain calm while they fussed around her, letting them work their magic. The longer she stared at them both, the more worried she got, noting the guy's tongue piercing clacking against his teeth, and the expertly applied dark browny-purple lipstick the girl was wearing. Their look was what she would describe as "edgy" and she was anything but edgy and she started to feel a little anxious about what was going to face her when she looked in the mirror.

She needn't have worried though, as they finished their work, holding up a mirror for her to take herself in. She couldn't help but preen as she gazed at herself. Her make up was exquisite, perhaps a tad heavier than she normally wore, her eyelids painted a pretty shimmering copper colour, her lips stained a dark berry colour, making her blue eyes seem even more fierce in comparison. Her hair was a little... sexier than she usually wore it. The tight, neat little curls were gone, replaced with slightly undone loose waves that framed her face, making her look at least five years younger.

"Oh." She breathed out, and watched them smile smugly at each other.

"You like?" The man asked, tapping his stud against his front teeth in a way that would drive Norma mad if she had to listen to it for any longer.

"I like. Thank you." She nodded at them both, just as Sarah piped up from across the room.

"Norma? I need you!"

They shook their heads at her, smiling, as she jumped up from the stool, crossing over to the distraught bride.

"It's tangled. It won't untangle!" She said helplessly, holding up a necklace with a small tangle in the delicate chain.

"It's ok. Calm down." She said quietly, taking the necklace out of her shaking hands, gently pulling at it to figure out the cause of the tangle. She pulled at it gingerly, watching out of the corner of her eye as Sarah flopped back in her chair dramatically, looking like she was going to cry.

"It's pretty knotted." Norma admitted, after an initial assessment, watching Sarah's face crumple. "It's ok. Do you maybe have another necklace you could wear?"

"No, no. It has to be that one!" Sarah practically wailed at her, dramatically flopping onto the table in front of her. "Oh Gabe's gonna be so upset." She muttered from behind her hair and Norma froze, finally taking her attention from the chain to the pendant itself. It was beautiful and expensive and old, a huge opal, set in a simple claw, hanging from a art-deco style triangular setting encrusted with tiny diamonds.

"Why?" She asked softly, though she feared she already knew the answer.

"It was his mom's." She mumbled from behind her hair and Norma breathed out a sigh, laying the necklace down on the counter, spreading the chain out to try and figure it out with a renewed sense of determination.

There was pause, while Norma worked, finally feeling like she was beginning to make a little headway, when Sarah spoke again, and Norma froze.

"Alex got the ring. Gabriel got the necklace." She clarified quietly, glancing to the side at Norma, who pressed her lips together, trying to keep her expression neutral. Both her and Sarah's gazes drifted down to the huge round diamond on her finger and Sarah lifted her head up suddenly, her miserable pout softening quickly.

"I mean, I don't mind at all." She said, sounding genuine. "Alex is the oldest, so it's like, tradition and it suits you so much." She added sweetly, patting Norma's hand, who was still frozen, torn between wanting to cry and wanting to hunt Alex down and kill him.

"I just... Gabe really wanted me to have something of his mom's when I walked down the aisle." She said sadly, turning her gaze away from Norma, not noticing that she had started to slip the ring off to give to her. It wasn't hers. Not really.

A knock at the door halted her, the ring hovering by her knuckle as the room froze, absurdly looking like a room full of white-robe-wearing deer in the headlights.

"Who is it?" One of the girls shouted.

"It's Alex." He said gruffly, sounding annoyed at having to identify himself through a door. Her heart sank as she recognised his voice. "Is Norma in there? I need to talk to her."

"It's bad luck!" She shouted back, earning confused glances from the rest of the room.

"It's bad luck for the soon-to-be brother-of-the-bride to see his own wife?" He shot back, and she rolled her eyes. "Please. It's important." His voice softened and the girls all "awwed" at her, as she surreptitiously slid the ring back onto her finger, stomping across the room and slipping out into the hotel corridor.

"Hi." He said gently, as she crossed her arms in front of herself, tapping her foot, avoiding his eye contact. "You look nice."

She rolled her eyes, pretending not to be secretly pleased by his somewhat lukewarm compliment.

"Thanks." She muttered automatically, her bare foot scuffing at the patterned carpet.

"I just wanted to make sure you're ok." He said suddenly, watching her chew her lip, staring at the floor. "After last night..." He clarified.

"Yeah." She said sharply. "I'm fine."

He took a deep breath, watching her foot with her for a moment.

"I just want you to know-" He started, his words slow and deliberate and she held up a hand to stop him.

"Not now, Alex." She snapped wearily.

"But-"

"Not now. Not today, ok? It's Gabe and Sarah's wedding day. It's not about me." She said, her tone softening slightly.

He nodded slowly, and she glanced up at his sad expression before moving to turn away. She stopped, facing away from him, her hand on the door handle.

"Is this your mother's ring?" She asked quietly, holding her hand up like he needed clarification on which ring she meant.

"Yes." He replied gently. She sighed, feeling exhaustingly angry at him.

"Why would you give me this?" She asked, her tone wary, dropping her hand to twist the ring nervously round her finger.

"Because... I wanted you to have it." He said simply and she gasped as he reached for her hand, spinning her back round to face him. His fingers entwined with hers and he leaned forward, trapping her against the door, his other hand brushing a tendril of hair out of her eyes, letting his thumb brush against her lip.

This wasn't expected. She thought he'd never touch her again, but here he was, invading her personal space like the good old days, his breath stirring the hair around her face, his lips moving ever closer to hers, about to make contact.

"I... I can't do this now." She whispered, and reached behind to her open the door, almost falling through it in her haste to get away from him. The door slammed shut behind her and he was left standing all alone in the corridor, wondering, as always what was going through her mind.

"What was that about?" He heard Sarah ask through the door.

"Oh? Erm... nothing. He just missed me." He heard Norma lie smoothly, causing a round of feminine "awww"s.

She didn't realise it was entirely the truth, as he rested his head against the door, trying to pull himself together.


	13. Chapter 13

Alex gasped as Norma descended the steps down to the beach, catching his eye and smiling nervously at him. Something about the golden light of the Florida sunset seemed to make everyone look good, but Norma was exceptional, her hair a halo of baby blonde waves, the slight tan she had picked up standing out against the pale lavender of her dress. It was a style he had never seen her wear before, not as classic as usual, but still somehow very Norma, with a high, halterneck top, gathered waist and pleated chiffon falling to just below the knee.

"You look beautiful." He whispered to her, his ghosting over her bare back as he led her to her seat on the front row of the little white pews that had been set up along the sand.

"Thank you." She murmured, letting herself lean into him a little as they sat down, just wanting to pretend that everything was normal, just for half an hour.

She studiously avoided his eye contact, as they sat there in a slightly awkward silence, listening to the soft cello music and occasionally smiling as people they didn't know waved over at them. Gabe turned round excitedly a couple of times, shooting them over-the-top thumbs up to cover up his own nerves as they waited for the big moment. She heard Alex take a breath to speak, and was ecstatic that Sarah chose that moment to make her appearance, strolling in like a little blonde angel, her long flowy cream dress billowing behind her as the early evening breeze caught it. A garland of dainty little wild flowers adorned her honey-coloured curls. She glowed, her face breaking into a beaming smile as her and Gabriel laid eyes on each other, the now tangle-free necklace catching the fading light perfectly.

Norma teared up during the vows, a single tear falling as Gabriel's voice cracked, telling Sarah he would love, honour and protect her for the rest of his life. She let Alex reach across and take her hand, not for show, but because she wanted him to, smiling tearfully as Gabe dipped Sarah to share a dramatic first kiss as man and wife. Alex's hand tightened around hers, and she squeezed in return, keeping her smiling, tearful face trained on the deliriously happy couple in front of them, pretending not to notice him glancing at her unsurely. He wondered if she was thinking of their first kiss, the one she had leaned into without realising, giving her feelings away before she even knew she had them.

He took a gamble.

"Are you thinking about our-" He whispered, nervously, surprised when she tightened her grip almost painfully on his hand, interrupting him.

"Yes." She said simply, her expression almost entirely neutral, never taking her eyes off Gabe and Sarah, whose kiss had been going on for an entirely inappropriate amount of time now. There was a long pause, while he stared at the side of her face, and Gabe and Sarah finally broke apart, grinning giddily at each other. Norma let go of his hand abruptly to join with the rest of the guests who were clapping and beginning to rise to their feet. Finally, after what felt like years to Alex, she let her gaze flit to him and she smiled, a barely noticeable quirk of the lips that would have looked like nothing to anyone else. But Alex could see the warmth in her eyes, even as she turned away from him again, rising to her feet with the rest of the crowd to grin at the happy couple as they passed. It wasn't much, that little smile, but to Alex, it was everything. It was hope.

That hope didn't last long though, as the second the ceremony was over, Norma murmured something about Sarah needing her and disappeared through the crowds. He had nodded for a moment, before realising that Sarah got married about 6 minutes ago - What could she possibly need her for?

Alex milled around the terraced reception area, chit-chatting with people he pretended to know, slyly searching for his missing wife. He eventually spotted her talking to an older, heavy set man, who looked a little like an ageing oil tycoon. He watched her for a moment, watching her light up as the man leaned in close, whispering something that made them both laugh. If there hadn't been for the presence of a smiling, older blonde woman on the man's arm, Alex would have hated him for making his wife laugh like that.

"There you are." He said as he made his way over to her, noticing her tense up a little as he approached, flashing a tight smile at the couple.

"Alex!" She said brightly, almost too brightly. "This is Ray, Sarah's step dad. Ray, this is Alex, Gabriel's brother."

"Pleasure to meet you, son!" Ray said in a strong southern lilt, beaming at him as he stepped forward to shake his hand warmly. Alex always thought you could tell alot from a man's handshake, and, by the way Ray encompassed Alex's hand in both of his, fixing him with a genuine smile, he could already tell he liked the man. "This is Kate." He didn't offer any more explanation for the woman, but slipped an arm round her shoulder, which told them enough. They nodded politely at each other.

"Good to meet you, Ray." Alex said, before turning to hand Norma a glass of the fresh squeezed orange juice he knew she'd come to love. Her eyes lit up and she reached for the glass. "Here. I got you this. Didn't think you'd want alcohol after last night..."

She tensed up, freezing halfway through taking the glass, and he realised what he'd said. He'd only meant that, after drinking too much, he doubted she'd want to overindulge today. He had meant it as a playful barb, but instead, he had reminded her of her terrible night without thinking.

Ray and Kate glanced uncertainly between them, apparently sensing the tension.

"Don't worry about it, kiddo." Ray started, in a conspiratorial whisper. "We all overdo it sometimes. Kate's in the wine industry so we've got an excuse to be complete winos half the time."

Kate slapped him on the arm playfully, frowning at him.

"Shush..." She whispered, shyly biting her lip, and Alex briefly wondered how the softly-spoken Kate and the brash Ray had become a couple, before glancing back at Norma, who was staring at the floor. If Ray thought she was just embarrassed at drinking too much, she was perfectly willing to let him, shifting awkwardly on the spot, grinning at her shoes.

"What were you guys talking about before I rudely interrupted?" Alex piped up suddenly, trying to change the subject, to try and rid the haunted look from Norma's eyes.

"Food!" Ray answered immediately, patting his ample stomach and beaming at Alex. "I was sharing some of my secret recipes with Norma."

"He wants me to fatten you up." She added, a small smile pulling at her lips, making him sigh in relief.

"And I want you let you." He joked and they all shared a polite, lukewarm laugh. He didn't quite mean it, since he'd been eating Norma's meals for weeks, and had had to double his time at the gym to combat the homely, high-carb comfort food she seemed insistent on piling on his plate, even during the weeks when they had been barely speaking. He loved her cooking for him though. It was absurd, but he could taste how much she cared about him in every bite, even when they'd fallen out after she pushed him away. And now his eyes glinted with excitement at having a few traditional southern dishes added to the mix.

"So, as I was saying, the trick to the perfect peach cobbler is..." He trailed off, wrapping an arm around Norma's shoulders and whispering the end of his sentence, and Alex rolled his eyes as he watched Norma's face light up. He couldn't quite relate to how excited she could get about a new recipe, but as he watched her smile at Ray's apparently controversial peach cobbler technique, he felt a matching smile tug at his lips. Glancing over at Kate, he noticed her doing the same, and he grinned even more.

"I think we've lost them to cobbler talk." He said in a stage whisper, and Norma and Ray turned back to them, rolling their eyes.

"Ok, ok. You wont be complaining when you're eating the best dessert you've ever tasted."

"I'm sure." Alex agreed, noticing the hotel staff beginning to usher them in through the wide open doors.

"We better take our seats." He let his hand skim over the exposed skin of her back again, pleased when she didn't shy away from his touch.

Dinner was pleasant enough, though he noticed that Norma seemed to have alot of time for anyone but him. He tried to speak to her as they sat down, only to be shut down again.

"Listen, I wanted to say-" He started, under his breath as they took their seats at the table.

"Hanna!" She interrupted him to grab the attention of the brunette who had just sat down across the circular table. "How are you feeling now, hun? Did the seltzer help?" The girl seemed mildly surprised that Norma was giving her so much attention, when she'd barely spoken to her aside from giving her a few hangover tips that only come from age and wisdom, but she replied graciously, falling into an easy chat with Norma from across the table.

She'd then struck up a conversation with the woman sat next to Alex, talking across him like he wasn't there.

"So how do you know the happy couple?" The smiling woman said, as Norma took a bite of her food. Alex took the opportunity to finally speak, while Norma's mouth was full.

"I'm the groom's brother." He said hastily, and the woman glanced at him like she wasn't sure she knew he could speak before that moment. "This is my wife, Norma."

The woman reached over to shake his hand.

"Ashley. Sarah used to work for me."

They all nodded at each other politely, before Alex took another bite of his meal and Norma jumped at the chance to take the woman's attention again. He wanted to be angry at being cut out of the conversation once more, but he couldn't bring himself to feel anger at Norma, not right now. He let the conversation wash over him, silently thankful to not be drawn into what turned out to be a very dull talk where Ashley mostly boasted about how successful her catering company was.

"And if you're ever having a party, I hope you'll consider CRH Catering for your next event-" She chirped breezily, like she was working on a shopping channel, not making small talk at a wedding.

"Actually Ashley," Alex piped up, surprising even himself. "We don't live locally. We're just here for the wedding. And Norma runs her own motel, so that keeps us pretty busy most of the time." The pride in his voice was unmistakable.

Ashley blinked steadily a few times, clearly slightly put out at having being taken down a peg by this man who had barely spoken for their entire meal. She returned her face to the fake smile that strangers reserved for each other at weddings.

"Oh. A motel. How lovely!" She trilled at Norma, her tone only mildly patronising. They slipped back into a slightly tense, mundane chat again, and Alex went back to pretending to listen, thinking about how far away he felt from his polite, smiling wife next to him.

Eventually, the plates had been cleared and Norma and Ashley's conversation had petered out, with Ashley moving on to try and convince little Hanna to use her catering services for her next event. Alex didn't think Hanna looked like she threw all that many catered parties, but he was just glad to have the overbearing woman no longer leaning across him, loudly chatting in his ear. He was aware of Norma's eyes darting to his face, and caught her eye uneasily a few times, before they both cast their gazes around the room.

"It was a beautiful ceremony." She said sweetly, after accidentally catching his eye one too many times to not say something.

He chuckled mirthlessly, casting an awkward glance around the circular table. No-one was paying them any attention, all consumed with their own mindless small talk, but he knew this wasn't the place to talk about everything that had happened between them now. Still, he was almost surprised at how safe she had decided to keep their topic.

"Yes, yes it was." He agreed mildly, nodding casually to buy himself a moment. Casting another uneasy glance around the table, he sucked in a breath, drawing her attention to him.

"Can we talk?" He blurted out impulsively, keeping his tone low, watching as her mouth dropped open, her eyes darting wildly around the room.

"Alex." She muttered quietly, a warning hanging in her voice.

"I know, I know. Not now." He nodded, holding a hand up. "But later. Can we talk?"

She stared at the table for a long time, her fingers tapping a frantic pattern, before she looked up at him, nodding tightly.

Her cerulean eyes blinked back at him innocently, and for a second, he was lost, he didn't care where they were, or how inappropriate it was to do this, he just wanted to tell her how he felt right there and then.

"I..." He started, reaching for her hand. He was interrupted by the clinking of spoons against glasses, and he let his hand pause, resting millimetres away from hers, close enough to feel the nervous tapping of her fingers slow to a halt as they all turned their attention to the top table where Ray was standing patiently, glass in hand.

"Thank you everyone. Apparently I have to say a few words at this point. Erm..." Ray's previously brash demeanour seemed to have disappeared as he faltered, his words trailing off.

"I've never been very good at this sort of thing, so I'll keep it short and sweet. Oh, erm.. I'm Ray." He cleared his throat and gave an awkward half-wave. "I'm Sarah's step-dad, but I... never felt like that to her. She may not be my own flesh and blood, but I've always loved her like she was my own." Sarah gazed up at him adoringly, and he smiled down at her, before clearing his throat again, taking a deep breath before continuing.

"And Gabriel here. Well, I've never had a son, but if I did, I'd want him to be like this young man here." He reached to clap Gabriel on the shoulder, nodding down at him with approval.

"I'm happy that my little girl has finally found someone like you, Gabriel. You're a good man." His voice was a little thicker now than when he had started, and Alex heard Norma sniffle quietly from where she was turned away from him. Without thinking, his fingers closed the tiny gap between their hands, simply sliding across the back of her hand to cup it. She didn't return the gesture, but she didn't stop him either, holding still while his large hand covered her own.

"I know you will have a lifetime of happiness together. I'm so happy for you both. If you'd all like to join me in raising a glass..." The crowd shuffled to their feet, glasses in hand. "to Gabriel and Sarah."

Sarah jumped to her feet, pulling Ray in for a fierce hug, and from their table, both Alex and Norma could make out the "I love you, darlin'" he whispered in his daughter's ear. Norma's hand drifted from where it had remained brushing against Alex's to wipe a errant single tear from her cheek, and he immediately missed the grounding contact of her hand.

Taking their seats again, he noticed she placed her hand back on the table in the same place it had been before, this time her palm facing upwards. He glanced at her, found her staring intently at where Gabe was rising to his feet, her face turned away from him again. The invitation was unmistakable though, and he slid his hand hesitantly across hers, pleased when he felt her fingers twitch against his, the tiniest response to his touch.

"Thank you Ray. That was lovely." Gabe sounded a little choked up himself, and took a moment to readjust his tie before continuing. "Uh, I'd like to thank you all for coming. Though really, what else would you be doing than be at the wedding of the year?" There was a mild chuckle for a mild joke. "I'd like to thank Ray for allowing me to marry his daughter. I mean, she would have done it anyway, cause she's a rebel, but, it means alot to have your blessing, and I know it means alot to Sarah too." He shuffled his note cards, fumbling for a second. "When I first met Sarah, I couldn't believe how sweet and wonderful and caring one person could be. And then I met you, Ray, and it all made sense."

Ray smiled at him and then looked down, suddenly very interested in his napkin. Alex heard Norma sniffle softly again and her fingers curled, entwining with his.

"Also, I'm told I have to thank the bridesmaids. You all look very pretty today in the dresses I paid for." They rolled their eyes at him, and it was clear they were all friendly enough to laugh at his comments. "All jokes aside, I know you've been a great source of support and comfort to Sarah in the trying times of wedding planning, and, to be honest, you were probably more help with alot of it than I was, so, Caitlin... Hanna... Iris, thank you."

The trio all bowed their heads graciously at him, before he turned his attention to Sarah, his gaze filled with tender adoration.

"And, of course, I'd like to thank my beautiful wife- Man, how weird does that sound? "Wife"? Wow, we're like real grown ups now, babe!"

She giggled, her curls bouncing wildly around her shoulders.

"I'd like to thank my beautiful wife for marrying me. I mean, look at her, she could have done alot better." She rolled her eyes at him. "I mean I am punching well above my weight here! But I am forever thankful that she decided to settle and slum it with me. Because she is my world, my light, and I will devote every second of my future to making her the happiest woman in the world." His voice broke, and both Sarah and Ray surreptitiously wiped fresh tears away.

He heard Norma gasp slightly, and rubbed his thumb gently across the back of her hand, tracing soothing circles.

Gabe chuckled slightly, clearing his throat before continuing.

"But you know all that! We covered all this in the vows! Silly me."

There was a polite murmur of laughter from across the room, as he shuffled his cards again, finding his place.

"As you know, I didn't have a best man. Partly because I have little to no faith in any of my friends - Sorry boys - but mostly because we're very modern and hipster and untraditional. I mean, have you seen these flowers in my wife's hair?" He gestured to Sarah's delicate little wild flower garland and she raised her hands, tilting her head angelically to model them. "I mean, we're obviously very bohemian. But, I'm very pleased that my brother, Alex could make it, as a sort of unofficial best man. And he got the best of both worlds. None of the responsibility of the job, with all of the drinking. Nice deal for you, bro."

Alex's grip tightened on Norma's hand and she glanced over her shoulder at him, shooting him a small smile. A few people around them glanced at him as Gabriel pointed, and he resisted the urge to shrink down in his seat, instead fixing a tense smile on his face. He was thinking about last night again, and now was not the time to rehash the events of their troubling night.

"He actually got married himself recently, and I was so glad that he and his delightful wife could join us for the wedding. It meant alot to us both."

Norma's fingers twitched nervously in his hand. It was her turn to shuffle in her seat now, trying to smile sweetly under the scrutiny of a room full of people.

"My only wish is that mom could have been here today." Gabriel carried on, in a small voice. Alex took a deep, steadying breath. He hadn't been expecting that. "She would have adored you." Gabriel continued, turning his attention to Sarah, whose hand drifted to brush against the necklace she was wearing.

"In fact, she would have loved both of you." He jerked his head at Norma and Alex heard her sniff very distinctly this time, lowering her head to stare at her knee intently.

"Me and Sarah don't have a huge amount of family between us-" He said, his tone neutral, and they all heard the unspoken sentiment there. He didn't mention his incarcerated father, or Sarah's real parents, the father she'd never known, and the mother who'd abandoned her. He didn't need to. The family that mattered were there. "But I really feel like my family grew so much over the last few days. I gained a wife, a father-in-law who doesn't hate me, which is a nice feeling. I got my brother back, and gained a sister in law."

Norma's hand tightened around Alex's, her nails digging into his palm. He could see just enough of the side of her face to see her cheek shining with tears, and wasn't too proud to say he felt his own eyes begin to prickle at his brother's words.

"I feel so incredibly lucky to be surrounded by such a wonderful people. I feel so blessed to call you all family now."

Her grip tightened again, her nails now digging painfully hard into Alex's skin. He said nothing though. Just let her squeeze the life out of his hand like she was in physical pain. Her blonde curls shook slightly as she cried, the kind of trembling that came from trying to silently repress your broken sobs. Their hands slid from where they were resting on the table to drop to her leg, their fingers still entwined.

"So, I would like you all to raise a glass, not only to my beautiful new wife, Sarah, but to my brother, Alex and his own beautiful wife Norma. To family." He finished, and everyone toasted and took a sip of their drinks, except Norma, who seemed to be frozen in place, her shoulders still silently shaking.

"Right, now all that pesky tradition is out of the way, you can all go and get a proper drink and enjoy yourselves!"

There was a pause, and then a buzz of chatter rose steadily, filling the room as everyone settled back in their seats, chatting amongst themselves. Only Alex and Norma remained frozen, her gaze now blankly staring at the wall, her clammy hand still squeezing the life out of his.

He took a sharp intake of breath to speak. He didn't know what he was going to say, but he needed to say something, anything.

Before he could verbalise anything though, she rose suddenly, standing on shaky legs for a second like a baby deer. Her hand dropped his abruptly and she was gone without another word, swerving between tables towards the exit, her head tilted down, her hand covering her face.

He was still for a second, too dumbstruck to move, glancing down at the crescent shaped dents in his palm where her nails had dug into his flesh, before glancing up, watching her retreat out of the double doors to the patio. She didn't want him to follow her, he could tell, but he did anyway. There was no way he couldn't.

Ignoring the curious stares of the guests at his table, he rose to his feet slowly, winding between the tables, resisting the urge to sprint after her which would only draw more attention than they were already getting. Gabe shot him a worried, curious look from the top table, and Alex simply nodded back at him, trying to keep his expression neutral.

Slipping out into the cool night air, he relished the feel of it against his heated face, taking a deep breath before allowing himself to look around, finally spotting Norma leaning against a wall a few feet away. She spotted him at the same time and she pushed herself off the wall, trying to bolt, before he shot forward, his hands grasping the tops of her arms stopping her.

"Alex, stop!" She yelled, wriggling in his arms. "Let me go." He released her, because she wanted him to, and he would never have considered holding her there against her will, but he ducked his head down, meeting her eyes, silently imploring her not to run from him.

"Norma, stop! It's ok!" He said, uselessly, frowning when she turned away from him, fresh tears rolling down her cheeks, her hand reaching to push her hair away from her face.

"No! No, it's not ok!" She screamed at him, whirling back to face him. "Nothing about this is ok. I can't do this, Alex." Her voice lowered as she dissolved into tears. "That speech..." She whispered out brokenly, shaking her head.

"We're lying!" She sobbed, wiping uselessly at the tears that showed no signs of stopping. "We're lying to everyone!"

He reached for her again, and this time she let him, because she felt too tired and overwhelmed to stop him. He held her very gently, not wrapping her up in a full hug, just pulling her against his chest, feeling her hands fist in his shirt, his hands resting lightly against her shoulders. He glanced up at the stars, feeling his insignificance in the universe for a moment, as he held this perfect, trembling woman in his arms. Listening to the soothing chirping of the cicadas and her quiet sobs, he took a deep, slow, steadying breath before he spoke.

"I'm not lying." He said quietly, and she froze for a second, before pulling back, glancing up at him uncertainly. "I'm not lying." He repeated, his voice a little surer this time. "Not anymore."

Her breath hitched in her throat as her eyes darted from his sincere eyes, to his lips, down to where her hands were resting against his chest and then back up again. He leaned in, just an inch or so, and she did the same, and he felt ready - Now was the moment.

"Norma, I-"

"Don't." She cut him off, her voice still so small and broken that it made his heart ache. "Just... don't." She started, because she knew what he was going to say, and he couldn't mean it, he couldn't possibly mean it.

She took a shaky step back, and he let her, because he had no clue what she was thinking and it seemed safer to let her go.

"I'm... I'm sorry..." She breathed out, and she looked so incredibly lost that he almost wished he hadn't said anything. "I-" She stuttered, before turning suddenly, stalking away from him at a pace that was almost a jog.

"Norma!" He called out, but he didn't follow her, because, at this point, he had no idea what he would say.


	14. Chapter 14

"Is Norma... ok?" Gabe asked out of the blue as they sat at the bar.

Alex said nothing for a moment, a lie forming on his lips before he swallowed it.

"No." He said simply.

Gabe nodded, as if he immediately understood everything.

"Do you remember when mom brought that cat home?" He said, after a long silence.

"Gabriel. I love you, and I know it's your wedding day but if you compare my wife to a stray cat, I'm going to punch you in the face."

Gabe laughed warmly, clapping him on the arm.

"No, no. Of course not. You remember the cat though, right?"

"Vaguely." Alex nodded, unsure of where he was going with this.

"She turned up with it one day, said it had found us, and that it was part of the family now."

"Wasn't it some kid's from the next street over?" Alex struggled to remember, a vision of a large, ugly ginger cat vaguely returning to him.

"Yeah, she had to give it back eventually. But while we had it, you loved that thing. Called it-"

"Indy." Alex supplied as it started to come back to him. "After Indiana Jones." He smiled at the memory.

"Oh god yeah. I forgot. God, you were obsessed with that damn movie."

They both smiled for a moment, remembering watching those movies with their dad, savouring whatever time he was home since he was gone so much, leaving them alone with an unstable mother and a cat that wasn't theirs.

"Do you remember the birds it kept bringing in?"

Alex shook his head, struggling to recall.

"God, there were feathers everywhere. All the time. Every time you thought you'd cleaned up all the feathers, you'd find another one." Gabe laughed as he reminisced.

"The first one it brought in, mom took to her bed for the rest of the day from the shock of it all. I was left to clean up all the feathers before dad got home, while you decided to rescue the bird."

"I don't remember this." Alex started, almost feeling affronted at being accused of being a sensitive child.

"Probably because you didn't rescue the bird at all. It was barely breathing, and had a broken everything. But you took it outside and placed it in a tree so it's family could find it and you were so happy that you'd saved it." Gabe smiled warmly at the memory of a little Alex marching back in to the house with a triumphant smile on his face. "It was in pieces on the kitchen floor the next morning. Mom made us promise not to tell you."

"If this is you trying to cheer me up, you're doing a terrible job at it." Alex rolled his eyes, taking another swig of his beer.

"You did the same thing with the next one. And the next one. And every morning, that poor creature would be back, smeared across the kitchen floor, or in bits on the doorstep, and every day, we cleaned it up and mom took to her bed, and dad got a little angrier, and you kept on thinking you were some great hero of the birds."

Alex rose out of his seat suddenly, making Gabe jump.

"I'm not gonna listen to this." He muttered angrily, stalking through the happy crowds towards the exit.

"Wait. Alex! Wait!" Gabe jumped up and took off after him, catching him up as he slipped through a door into the relative cool of the early evening.

"No. Gabriel." He said sharply, shrugging off the hand that had reached out to grasp his arm. "I get it, ok? I was a stupid child who thought he was saving these broken little creatures and I'm doing the same thing now. That's what you're saying, isn't it? That she's a lost cause? Just another fragile bird that's going to end up smeared across the kitchen floor whether I like it or not?" His voice rose as he spoke and the pause when he finished speaking seemed almost deafening, the cicadas and the sounds from the party seeming insanely loud after his shouting.

"Shit. Alex, no!" Gabe said, holding his hands up to try to calm Alex down. "Jesus. I am TERRIBLE at metaphors. Wow, I am so lucky Sarah didn't suggest we wrote our own vows. I would definitely not be a married man right now if it depended on my way with words." He babbled, rubbing the back of his neck nervously under Alex's intense gaze.

"Then what did you mean?" Alex said quietly, flexing and unflexing his fists like he wasn't entirely sure he was ready to let go of his anger.

"Well, if you'd let me finish-" Gabe started, pointedly, leaning back against the brick wall next to Alex. "The last bird Indy brought in - it was just a coupla days before that kid came a-knocking, asking for his cat back - it was different. The cat had barely got at it really - It had managed to get under one of the cupboards, and when you got it out, it wasn't like the rest. It looked fine really. But dad had lost it, came home at the wrong moment, with the house covered in feathers, and the cat scratching away at the carpet and mom a trembling wreck over the drama of it all, and he told you what was really happening - That the birds died. The birds always died, and that it was pointless to help them, and that you were stupid, and that mom was stupid for covering it all up."

"I... I remember that." Alex said, after a long pause, pieces of his time with the cat finally starting to come back to him. "I was so sad."

Gabe reached over to pat him on the shoulder awkwardly.

"Do you remember what mom told you?"

Alex shook his head. He didn't like to think of his mom.

"Weeks had passed, and the whole thing had been forgotten, but you were still so sad and one day, she looked out of the window, pointed at a sparrow in the bush in the yard and said "Look! Alex, honey. It's that bird you saved!"

Alex smiled warmly. He didn't even remember this, but he could picture his mom, on one of her good days, a day without a need for any pills, pulling him onto her lap and showing him the bird he had saved.

"I was old enough to know better really, but..." Gabe continued, smiling sadly at the ground. "I always believed her. I always thought it was that same bird."

They shared a long look between them, and Alex nodded slightly at him, not knowing what to say next.

"So, she's not a stray cat, she's a fragile bird?" Alex said, a smile tugging at his lips.

"Beats me, man. I just thought I'd tell you a nice story about a cat. Take from it what you will." He laughed, shrugging.

"Wow. You're a true wordsmith. You sure you don't wanna take a crack at some vows? Tell Sarah another story about a cat?" He grinned back at him, just as the door swung open and a flustered Sarah appeared, poking her head out.

"Here you are!"

"Here we are!" Gabe mimicked her tone.

"They're waiting to do our first dance. Been looking for you everywhere!" She said, with faux annoyance, though she couldn't stop herself from smiling at him.

"Ohhh.." He pouted at her. "Can't you just do it without me? You're SUCH a good dancer!" He finished, giggling childishly as she grabbed his arm, starting to pull him back in.

"She'll be ok, you know." He added quietly, turning back to Alex for a moment, risking the wrath of his wife. He flicked his head back towards where Sarah had just been standing. "They're stronger than you know. They're stronger than us, that's for sure."

Alex just nodded back at him, completely agreeing and feeling strangely reassured by his ridiculous pep-talk as Gabe disappeared again.

Alex was only alone for about ten seconds before Sarah's head poked out of the door again, smiling at him sheepishly. He had been gathering his thoughts, preparing to go back in, when she appeared all of a sudden.

"You too, Alex." She said simply, grasping his arm and pulling him back through the door, with a surprising strength for a tiny blonde creature.

"No.. Er, why-?" He spluttered, flustered as she pulled him towards the dancefloor, trying to figure out if there was some tradition he had forgotten. He vaguely remembered that there might be a part of the first dance where the bride danced with the groom's father, maybe? Was he going to be a stand in? Oh god. Already, the crowds had formed around the dancefloor, and he could feel curious eyes on him as Sarah pulled him to the dancefloor, ignoring his reluctance.

"Sarah, no. I..." He was cut off as he was suddenly spun round and came face to face with Norma, who seemed to be being directed by a apologetic-looking Gabriel. Her dumbstruck expression matched his own, glancing at the crowds of onlookers, before Gabriel gave her a gentle shove forwards, and she stepped towards him, shrugging helplessly at him.

Feeling incredibly stupid, he reached forward without thinking to take her hand, looking for comfort in such an awkward situation, shooting glares over at Gabriel, who swept gracefully over to the other side of the room with Sarah in his arms.

"Sorry bro." He mouthed over at them, and both Norma and Alex scowled, as they looked anywhere but at each other's faces, a healthy distance between them despite the fact that their hands were clasped.

"And it's now time for the first dance!" The DJ announced cheerfully. "And Sarah and Gabriel have requested that Gabriel's brother and his wife join them for the first dance, since they recently got married and never got to have a first dance of their own. Can we have a big hand for... " There was a pause where the DJ obviously had to check their names. "Alex and Norma, on their recent wedding?"

There was a polite round of applause, and Norma glanced at him with a muted expression of horror, before plastering a wide smile on her face, gazing around at the crowds of onlookers, slipping her arm round Alex's waist. She turned her eyes to him, gazing at him adoringly, and though he knew it was all for show, he let himself relax into her touch, mimicking her deliriously happy expression.

The first notes of the music began to play, and she closed her eyes, smiling gently to herself.

"I love this song." She murmured happily, letting him pull her close to him, like he knew they should. His hand settled on her waist, trying to ignore the warmth of her skin under his fingers, and his other hand grasped her hand tight. He didn't recognise the song at first, but he knew they had to move, and tried hard to keep his gaze from drifting over to Gabe and Sarah, where he suspected they were putting on some fabulous, over the top choreographed routine.

Come with me, my love.

He recognised it now, as some female singer covering Sea of Love, letting his body sway as he recognised the lyrics, feeling Norma hum along through her body pressed against his.

Chancing a glance at the other happy couple, he was surprised to see them swaying gently, her head resting against his chest, looking as content as two people ever had. For a couple who were usually so over the top, this simple, beautiful first dance choice was a surprise, but it also seemed to fit them perfectly.

Do you remember... when we met...?

He listened to the lyrics of the song as they rocked gently in time, momentarily forgetting about the crowds of people watching them, letting his mind drift back to the first time he had laid eyes on her.

"Do you remember the night we met?"

"It would be hard to forget." She said, her tone cold and stiff and his eyes drifted shut, silently kicking himself for bringing it up. She had eventually told him the truth and it made him sick to think of what Keith Summers had done to her, of all that she had been through that night, mere hours before he had showed up. Her grip on his hand tightened as if she could read his mind, and he responded by pulling her hand close to his chest.

"I thought you were beautiful." He said quietly, his fingers flexing nervously against her back.

She pulled back to shoot him an unimpressed look, rolling her eyes at him.

"I looked gross. I'd been pulling up carpeting for hours." She grumbled, glossing over the series of violent crimes that had happened before all that.

"You were still beautiful." He shot back, without a pause, pleased when she couldn't hide her smile. She rested her head back against his chest to cover her reaction.

"I'm..." He started uncertainly, his voice catching in his throat. Not now Alex. Don't do this now. He couldn't stop the words from tumbling out though. "I'm so sorry, Norma."

She pulled back, her expression overly neutral as she gazed at him, their dancing never faltering as they spoke.

"What for?"

"For... everything that has happened to you." He said, glancing around the room, trying to keep his face calm, while a tempest raged within.

"That's not your fault." She whispered back immediately, her bottom lip trembling slightly.

"I know, but..." He puffed out a breath, images of all the arguments they'd ever had flashing through his mind, cringing at all the moments he'd put his hands on her in the time he'd known her, all the threatening things he'd ever said to her. "I'm sorry if I've ever made you uncomfortable." He blurted out, after a tense pause.

"Alex..." She said softly, her tone reassuring, as she stared at his shirt for a moment, before shooting him a haunted look.

"I'm sorry for all the times I've touched you when you haven't wanted me to."

"What?" She huffed out with a small almost-laugh. "What are you-?"

"That night." He cut her off. "The night at my house. When we argued."

His gaze was intense, too intense and she pressed her head back against his shoulder to avoid his eyes. She knew exactly what night he meant. That night had haunted her for weeks afterwards. She found herself dreaming about it, dreaming about what would have happened had she just told him the truth, dreaming about what could have happened if she hadn't left when she did...

"I pushed you against the doorframe." He said, and she thought she heard his voice crack when he spoke and was afraid to look up at him again for fear of what she might see on his face. She wasn't entirely sure what point he was making, so she just took a deep breath, squeezing his hand reassuringly where it was pressed between their bodies.

"I... pinned your hands." He carried on in a broken voice, and she gasped softly when she began to understand his meaning.

She leaned back, shaking her head lightly at him.

"Well, to be fair, I was beating the shit out of you." She joked lightly, thinking about how her hands had been bruised for days afterwards, about how guilty she'd felt about the brutal beating her tiny hands inflicted upon him. He'd actually barely felt it, but he'd never tell her that.

He shook his head, ignoring her joking tone, his gaze lost.

"It's not right. I can't stop thinking about it. I never would have... I mean, I never would have touched you like that if I had know-"

"Stop!" She cut him off sharply. "Alex, stop." Her tone softened a little. "Don't do this."

"I didn't tell you so you could do... this. Don't overanalyse ever moment we've ever shared. I don't want that." She murmured softly, vaguely registering that they had stopped moving. Her grip on his shoulder tightened for a moment, spuring them back into their gentle swaying to the song that seemed to be never ending.

Over his shoulder, she made eye contact with Sarah, who looked mildly concerned through her wedding-haze. She rearranged her face into a smile, gazing happily back at her as she watched Gabe spin Sarah out, before pulling her back to him with a flourish. Sarah's giggle was audible over the music, and Norma smiled for real this time, before turning her attention back to Alex who still looked tortured.

"I didn't tell you to make you feel bad." She reiterated, and he immediately felt guilty for making this about him and his feelings. She returned her head to it's natural place on his shoulder, avoiding his eye contact.

"No, I know-"

"I've never felt afraid with you." She whispered and he had to look at the ceiling for a moment to calm himself, because he felt so angry at all the men Norma had ever been afraid of. "I just... I guess I've never loved anyone enough to feel obligated enough to be honest with them." She finished with a slight shrug.

Alex inhaled sharply, breathing in the lavender scent of her hair, and they both froze as they realised her revelation.

"You love me?" He breathed out, his fingers squeezing hers without realising. She gasped, realising what she'd said and pulled away from him, her mouth flapping open and closed wordlessly.

"I... guess so." She shrugged, noncommittally, her tone almost absurdly casual, her eyes remaining fixed on his collar.

He breathed out a soft, disbelieving laugh, half because he didn't dare believe that she actually loved him, and half because her faux-casual reaction to it was ridiculous.

The song drew to a close, and there was a brief pause before the DJ's voice rang out again.

"Ok, so that was the first dance! Wasn't it beautiful, folks? We'd like to invite you to all join the happy couples on the dancefloor..." A different song began to play, a slightly more uptempo, romantic number that neither Norma nor Alex recognised.

They were still for a moment, their eyes finally landing on each other, their hands frozen in place as the dancefloor began to fill around them.

"Do you wanna get out of here?" He mumbled, squeezing her waist lightly to get her attention. She paused for a second before nodding.

He took her hand, leading her towards where Gabe and Sarah were still dancing, their moves massively amplified now the spotlight was off them. Gabe raised Sarah from where she was dipped dramatically to face them as Alex and Norma came to stand in front of them.

"Hey guys!" Alex said, his tone incredibly overly cheery. "So, we're gonna go..."

"Ohhhh! So early?" Sarah pouted, continuing to dance around Gabe like a little butterfly. Gabe swayed lightly as his wife fluttered around him, his eyes narrowing curiously at Alex.

"Yeah, yeah. Norma's not-" He cut himself off. It was a cop out to blame their early exit on Norma. "Actually, to be honest, I'm still suffering from last night." He grinned guiltily at them. He actually felt fine since, despite her horrific evening, Norma had left a bottle of water next to the bed that he had drank the second he had woken up. Coupled with a ridiculously strong cup of coffee from his brother, he'd actually rallied.

Norma's hand slid round his waist, surprising him. She gave his hip a squeeze.

"I'm gonna take care of him." She said, simply, the words laden with double meaning, as Sarah winked at her knowingly, and Gabe shot an unreadable look from Norma to Alex.

He reached for Alex's hand, shaking it, his hand lingering for a second longer than necessary.

"Congratulations, Gabriel." Alex said sincerely, pulling him in for a rare hug that seemed to surprise literally everyone present. "I'm happy you're happy." He murmured in his ear, before pulling back, composing himself.

He then dithered for a moment, before Sarah cleared up his moment of indecision for him, lurching towards him for a sudden hug.

"I'm so happy we're family now!" She hummed in his ear, and he let himself relax for a moment into the tiny woman's embrace, watching as Gabriel gently enveloped Norma for a quick hug, following his wife's lead.

"We'll save you some cake." Sarah offered. "Oh my God! Do you want cake for breakfast?! We'll send cake for breakfast!" Sarah chattered excitedly, pulling Norma in for a hug.

"Thank you, Norma. Thank you for everything." She whispered, before pulling away, her fingers drifting to brush against the necklace lying against her collarbone.

"Congratulations, Sarah." She said warmly, before pulling back, letting Alex's hand slide into her own, not entirely sure what this all meant.

She let him lead her through the crowds, surprised when he veered towards the door heading outside. Gabe and Sarah had booked a block of rooms for their guests, and had insisted Alex and Norma take one. Despite their protests that they had already done enough for them, they had accepted, especially as the alternative was spending the night in Gabe and Sarah's huge, empty home without them. So Norma was surprised when he pulled her out into the night air, instead of towards the staircase.

"We have a room..?" She blurted out, immediately feeling her cheeks colour as she realised the implication of her words.

He grinned at her, enjoying watching her blush.

"I know." He said simply, his words laden with promise. "But let's take a walk."

"Ok." She smiled sweetly up at him through her lashes. "That sounds nice."

He gave her hand a little squeeze and pulled her along with him.


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: The following chapter demonstrates the way that watching The Notebook as a tween as influenced my entire idea of what romance is. Cliches ahead!

"It's closed." Alex announced, giving the door another little rattle, for good measure.

"Closed? They can't just close a lighthouse!" Norma said incredulously from behind him, peering over his shoulder as if she didn't quite believe him. The Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse and Museum opening times were quite clearly displayed on the door, along with an impressively sized padlock. He bit his lip to suppress a chuckle.

"Well, it's not a working lighthouse, Norma." He explained, watching as she took a step back, her hands on her hips, casting an appraising glance at the decidedly museumised lighthouse. Her brow furrowed in confusion and she glanced out at sea, then back up at the darkened tower.

"It's not?" She cocked her head to one side innocently, still frowning grumpily, and Alex pressed his lips together, not wanting to laugh at her.

"Don't worry. The ships will be fine."

She rolled her eyes at him, before taking another step back, taking it all in. For a second, he genuinely wondered if she was considering scaling it.

"It's not as tall as I thought it would be." She said thoughtfully, confirming that she probably believed she could somehow climb it, before she sighed in defeat, throwing her hands in the air like the whole night was ruined.

"But we walked all this way..." She whined and Alex laughed for real this time, glancing over her shoulder to where he could literally still see the beach front hotel where Gabe and Sarah had got married.

"Norma, it was like, 500 feet."

"Oh, you try doing it in heels then." She huffed, reaching down to slip her high wedges off. Alex smirked at her, watching as she stepped down from the towering heels, secretly glad of the few inches of height she lost when she took them off. He wasn't generally insecure about his height, but those damn heels put her dangerously close to being taller than him and that was something his ego could do without. She straightened, glaring at him like she was daring to make a comment as she scooped them up by the straps.

"Happier?" He grinned at her, pleased when she rolled her eyes but smiled back at him, nodding.

"I'd be happier if we could go up the lighthouse."

"We'll go up the lighthouse tomorrow," he promised, like he was talking to a child. Her face lit up and she seemed temporarily appeased, taking the hand that he held out to her. "Come on." He pulled her away from the lighthouse, down the grassy embankment back towards the beach, patiently waiting as her bare feet picked an wary path down the uneven surface.

They reached the beach, finding a wide border of jagged rocks and driftwood lining the edge of where the grass met the sand, and she paused, looking uncertainly at the terrain. Alex didn't even hesitate before reaching down to hook one hand under her knee, hoisting her weight up easily. Her arms came up naturally to wrap round his neck as he swung her across the rocks and wood, before depositing her back on her feet on the soft sand. She missed the contact immediately, letting her hands trail around the back of his neck, down his shoulder and eventually dropping to her side as he set her down.

"Thanks." She mumbled, suddenly feeling shy as she looked down, watching her toes squish through the sand.

"No problem." He said easily, gazing at her for a moment before clearing his throat and turning away, heading towards the small pier that jutted out across the ocean. She padded along after him, swinging her heels happily as she walked, relishing the occasional breeze that cut through the humidity of the night.

The pier was roughly 30 feet away from them, but it felt like a lifetime to reach it, as they walked in a companionable silence, the tension beginning to creep back in between them. They caught each other shooting tiny glances out of the corner of their eyes, and then looking away shyly, as if they were two kids on prom night.

That was probably the last time Alex had felt so unsure of himself around a member of the opposite sex. Girls had never been a problem for Alex. He seemed to always be able to find a steady stream of pretty, uncomplicated women who were happy to engage in the sort of relationship that didn't take up much of his thoughts, feelings or time. He felt a pang of guilt as he thought of them, wondered if they'd ever wanted more and he'd just been too closed off to notice. He felt like a different man now, feeling almost too much in the presence of Norma Bates. He felt lost, elated, out of his depth, helpless and delirious, and every time he made eye contact with her, she looked at him like she knew all this. What had she done to him?

The breeze picked up suddenly again, and he watched in his peripheral as Norma's hair was whipped around her face, having a sudden thought.

"You cold?" He said, shrugging his jacket off.

"No." She answered lightly, laughing when he froze, his jacket hanging limply in his hands like he couldn't imagine why she didn't want it. She didn't want it because it was hotter than holy hell out there, the humidity reaching a peak, the air hot and heavy and still, the only relief the occasional sea breeze that managed to cut a brief path through it.

"It's like, a hundred degrees tonight." She clarified, waving her hands through the darkness to try and waft some coolness towards her face. "But you still get the brownie points for offering." She added, watching as he smiled, pleased with himself.

"Well, that's ok then." He muttered. "I just thought you felt the cold." He offered by way of explanation, shrugging casually.

"I thought that's what your Victorian nightdress was for." He said playfully, not noticing her tense up at his words. She cleared her throat, not knowing how to tell him that she had once been afraid to share a bed with him. There had been enough tragic revelations. She didn't need to add another one to the list.

Instead, she just sat down heavily on the end of the pier, leaning back and gazing up at the stars that were only visible in patches through the thick blanket of heavy clouds.

"Looks like we might be in for a storm." She observed lightly, feeling him sink down next to her, sensing his eyes on her face before he followed her gaze to the heavens.

"Yeah maybe." He sighed contentedly, swinging his legs back and forth in an uncharacteristically child-like manner.

Catching her glancing at him, he smiled at her, and she looked away nervously, biting her lip.

"What are we doing?" She asked, after a companionable silence that seemed to go on for a lifetime.

"We're taking in the sea views." He replied simply, and she could hear the smirk in his voice.

"You know what I mean." She was a bundle of nervous energy all of a sudden, her eyes cast down, watching her fingers tap a nervous beat on the wood.

His hand shot out to still her fingers, covering her hand with his own, drawing her attention back to him. He opened his mouth like he was going to say something, but his words failed him and he just stared at her for a moment, his eyes darting to her lips. It was his turn to feel nervous now, taking a deep breath before swaying towards her, letting his lips tentatively brush against hers.

It was the gentlest kiss Norma had ever received, his lips pressing tenderly against hers, his hand resting lightly over where her fingers were gripping the edge of the pier. His muscles were taught, his neck craning to lean towards her without letting any of the rest of his body touch her. It was a deliberate move, straining his neck muscles to kiss her as innocently as possible.

He should have known that wouldn't be enough for Norma though. She was the one to deepen the kiss, darting her tongue out to flick against his lips, turning her body to face him. He reluctantly kissed her back, beginning to give up on his plan to keep this kiss innocent, feeling her hand drift to rest above his knee. His breath hitched in his throat, but he still refused to move his own body, keeping his hands rigidly by his sides, even as she pressed her chest against his shoulders, her hand moving an inch higher up his leg.

As if sensing his reluctance, she let out a soft noise of irritation, before grasping his hand and pressing it between her knees. He let his hand sit there limply for a moment, before she covered it with her own, apparently growing tired of his hesitating, sliding it up her thigh, sighing seductively into his mouth.

Wrenching his mouth away breathlessly, he snatched his hand back like he'd been burned, watching the confusion flicker across Norma's face.

"Okay, okay..." He muttered, trying to regain his cool. "Just... slow down." He said softly, watching as she smoothed her dress back down over her thighs, covering herself, her gaze haughty.

"Why?" She asked sharply.

"Is that rain?" He asked, flinching lightly, casting his eyes up at the canopy of thick cloud that now obscured the stars completely. "Did you feel rain?" He was changing the subject and they both knew it. She wasn't going to let him though.

"Why? Why do we have to slow down?" She repeated insistently, and he felt her pull away, felt her walls snapping back into place and he sighed heavily, ignoring the steady stream of droplets he was now sure he felt on his face.

"You know why." He said very quietly, and he immediately knew he'd said the wrong thing.

"Fine." She muttered tightly, suddenly scrambling to her feet so suddenly that he worried she was going to fall into the ocean. She didn't though, just set off at a ridiculous pace, half-sprinting along the pier back towards the lights of the beachfront.

"Norma, wait!" He called out, dumbly watching her run away for a moment before lurching to his feet to follow her. The rain began in earnest now, the heavens opening with an almighty crack of thunder. Alex barely noticed though, focused on the figure ahead of him, watching as Norma leapt over the sharp rocks he'd carried her over before, scrabbling up the embankment towards the lighthouse like she was being chased by the hounds of hell.

He caught up to her just as she reached the lighthouse, reaching out to roughly grab her arm before he could stop himself.

"Norma! Stop!"

She whirled round the face him, pushing her damp hair away from her face, her eyes burning wild through the darkness.

"I knew I shouldn't have told you!" She yelled at him and he released her arm immediately in shock.

"What the hell does that mean?" He asked, his voice low and dangerous. He was angry, though he couldn't fully grasp why.

She flailed her arms around for a moment, opening her mouth to speak when he cut her off, after letting his eyes travel down her body.

"Norma, take my jacket." He interrupted her, holding his jacket out to her, frowning as she shook her head, crossing her arms in front of herself. The rain wasn't cold at all. It actually offered almost no relief from the stifling heat, the warm water soaking through their clothes, soaking them through to the bone, the sky occasionally lighting up with flashes of distant lightening.

"No." She said childishly, ignoring his outstretched hand, refusing to let him change the subject.

"You think I'm broken now." She mumbled, giving a little shake of her head. "I wish I'd never told you. You're going to look at me differently now. You're scared I'm going to lose it again." Her voice broke, her words barely audible over the roar of the rain and the sound of the ocean crashing angrily behind them, but she didn't cry.

She looked angry more than anything, and Alex felt the same, feeling his anger rise within him as she told him how she thought he was feeling. He wasn't really angry with her - He just resented the situation.

"But I'm not broken! I'm not!" Her voice rose to a shout, making herself heard over the noise of the storm. She panted, all the fight apparently leaving her in one go and she glanced at him uncertainly, her azure eyes flashing at him dangerously before she turned, apparently planning to bolt again. He was too quick for her this time though, his hand darting out to lightly grasp her elbow, spinning her back to him, pulling her close.

"Stop!" He commanded, and she glanced up at him through her wet lashes, her expression so lost he thought his heart might break. He ducked his head to look her right in the eye, imploring her to listen to him. "I know you're not broken, ok? I don't think that."

She took a shaky breath, looking unconvinced, and he let his eyes drift closed for a minute, desperate to regain the feeling of closeness when they had danced. It felt like a lifetime ago now, and he chose his next words carefully, feeling the pressure of saying the right thing now. It would be so easy to take two steps back, but he wasn't going to let them do that. Not this time.

"Nothing has changed." He said pointedly, his eyes boring into hers. "You're still the same woman who once beat the shit out of me in my own house." Her lips quirked up into a small smile before she could stop herself. "And who came and rescued me when I was drunk." He leaned in a little, his hands stroking gently from her elbows up the backs of her arms, pleased when she didn't shy away from his touch at all. "And who once told me you felt safe with me." Her eyes fluttered closed as she remembered that day, a pretty smile playing on her lips. "Do you feel safe with me now?" He muttered, barely audible over the rain that they were both ignoring.

She nodded, and he smiled back at her, before continuing.

"You're right though." He said softly, the honesty tumbling out of his mouth, unable to stop now he had started. "I AM scared. I'm terrified that I'm going to say or do the wrong thing and scare you and then I'd lose you. I can't lose you." His voice was barely more than a broken whisper now, and she leaned in, resting her forehead against his, letting her palms press against his soaked shirt. "And I'm scared of how badly I want to hunt down everyone who has ever hurt you and put them in the ground." He ground out through gritted teeth, not wanting to linger on the thought for too long.

His hands drifted along her shoulders, up her neck to rest either side of her face, pulling her back to look at her, brushing her wet hair out of her face.

"But mostly, I'm scared of how none of that matters right now. Because all I can think about is how much I want you."

Her tongue darted out to wet her lips and he watched her mouth hungrily.

"You still want me?" Her voice was so innocent, so hopeful and he realised why she had been so upset with him. He had just wanted to be respectful and gentle, but she thought he didn't want to touch her anymore. Oh if only she knew.

"Of course." She shifted closer to him subconsciously.

"So show me-" She whispered seductively, cut off as he crashed his lips against hers, his fingers tangling in the hair at the sides of her face, tasting rain and champagne and something intrinsically Norma that he would never get enough of. She returned his embrace with equal passion, winding her arms around his neck, closing the last millimetres of distance between their bodies.

He was walking her backwards before he could figure out why, closing the few feet between them and the wall of the lighthouse in a matter of seconds, never breaking contact with her lips. She gasped softly into his mouth as her back hit the cold brick, and they both broke the kiss at the same time, both glancing up and realising at the exact same moment that they they were now protected from the rain by a small roof that fringed the lower floors of the building. They laughed breathlessly as they realised they could have been sheltering here all along, before she pulled him in again, continuing her furious assault on his mouth.

His hands drifted down her bare back, sliding down her rain-slickened skin before coming to land on her ass, pulling her against him. For a split second, he worried he had gone too far, too quickly, but she responded with a soft mewl, tightening her grip on the back of his neck, and jumping up suddenly. He caught her easily, smoothly shifting them a few inches to the right and resting some of her weight on a ledge that jutted out there. Her legs came up to wrap around his hips, and a sudden crack of thunder had her tighten her thighs around him, thrusting forward in shock, the act sending shockwaves straight to his groin.

The sky flashed white a split second later, the wind whipping up again suddenly and he wrenched his lips away from hers breathlessly, having a sudden thought.

"You know, we're sheltering under a lighthouse in a lightening storm."

"Uh huh?" Norma was distracted, obviously barely listening as she ducked forward to try to capture his lips again.

"So, that's probably not very smart."

"I guess not." Her hands slid round to his chest, tangling her fingers in his shirt, trying to tug him towards her, frowning when he resisted. He watched as a droplet of water dripped along her cheek, then rolled down her neck and he leaned forward before he could stop himself, kissing the droplet away, and then using his tongue to trace to path it had just taken along the side of her neck.

"I'd hate for us to get struck by lightening before I could make love to you." He whispered in her ear, pleased when she shuddered in his arms, letting her head drop to the side where he could get better access to her throat.

"Yes... that would be... horrible." She mumbled, distracted as he kissed the raindrops from her skin. There was another crack of thunder, loud enough and close enough to make even Alex jump and they both glanced fearfully at the sky, watching as it lit up with another frighteningly close flash of lightening.

"Oh my god. You're right." She whispered suddenly, letting him slide her forward and help her down from the little ledge. "Why have we found the tallest thing around to stand under?!" She asked incredulously, glancing up accusingly at the lighthouse like it was all it's fault. "We're such idiots."

He was inclined to agree, reaching forward to grab her hand, pulling her shrieking and giggling back out into the rain, towards the hotel. He paused to grab her shoes, letting her snatch his jacket out of his hands and hold it over her head, running ahead of him. Considering a few short minutes ago, she would stubbornly rather get soaked than take it from him, he found himself laughing as she took it without asking this time, wrapping it around herself and jogging ahead, leaving him to carry her shoes. He shook his head, watching as the sky illuminated again, spurring him into running after her, towards the hotel room that held such promise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A couple of people asked me if it was the Cat Power cover of Sea of Love I referenced in the last chapter. It was indeed. Probably my fave song of all time! And, after a bit of discussion, I decided to make a playlist of songs I've been inspired by whilst writing this fic. 
> 
> I REALLY hope you like it, and I really hope you enjoyed this chapter. Let me know if you like my picks, and, as always, I ADORE reviews! xx   
> http://tinyurl.com/fragilebird


	16. Chapter 16

The door slammed shut behind them and he was pressed against it before he could stop her, her lips finding his once again. She nipped at his lip and he groaned, his hands coming up to brush against her damp curls before he could catch himself. He was determined to let her set the pace this time, to only touch her when she touched him but that little tug at his lip had his control wavering and he found himself tangling his hands in her hair before he could regain his cool. It's ok, he thought. Her hair is safe. It's a safe zone.

His best-laid-plans were erased though as she rubbed her body against his, and reached to cover his hands, sliding them down to her breasts. He tried to compare this to their last time together. He had had that same out-of-control feeling back then, but it was different this time - She was directing him, guiding his hands to where she wanted them. So he obliged, letting her slide his hands down her body, gently squeezing when they came to rest on her chest, letting his thumbs brush over where he felt her nipples harden under her bra.

She sighed heavily, her breath hot against his cheek, and Alex hated that he analysed the sound, straining to hear the credibility in her soft sighs.

Her hands left where they had been covering his own, reaching back up to toy with the hair at the back of his neck, as she kissed him passionately again, her tongue sliding against his.

She took a step back from where she had been crowding him against the door, letting him follow her as she edged towards the bed. Her knees hit the edge of the mattress and she sat down abruptly, tearing her mouth away from his suddenly.

Gazing up at him, she bit her lip coyly, letting her hands slide back along the sheets to lean back. There was a pause that felt like hours to Romero where he tried to figure out what she wanted, since he had been intent on letting her set the pace, and she seemed to be leaning back on the bed like some silent question he had yet to figure out.

As if she read his mind, she scooted up the bed, further away from him, her gaze still seductive as she gazed at him.

"Take your shirt off." She said suddenly, her knee absently swaying back and forth as she continued to laze back casually.

He obliged quickly, because he would never consider not doing as she asked. Tossing his wet shirt aside, he smiled somewhat awkwardly as her eyes raked up and down his torso, biting her lip to suppress a smile.

"Now the pants." She demanded, sitting up properly this time, clearly enjoying this. He rolled his eyes, as if he wasn't loving every second of being under her control, before undoing and shedding his pants, pulling his shoes and socks off at the same time.

If he felt at all uncomfortable at standing in his boxers in front of the fully dressed Norma, he didn't show it, fixing her with a warm smile whilst silently flexing every muscle he could.

"Not bad, Sheriff." She smirked at him, not wanting to let it go to his head. Her index finger unconsciously found it's way to her mouth, and she tapped on her lip for a minute before gently biting it between her teeth. He grinned a little as he watched her chew her finger, as she regarded him thoughtfully, her subconscious action giving away more about her arousal levels than she wanted to.

She observed him deliberately for a few more seconds, before withdrawing her finger and cocking her head at him, licking her suddenly dry lips.

"Back up." She whispered gently, and he wasn't sure what she meant for a moment. "Stand over there." She pointed behind him and he obeyed, taking a few steps back till there were a few feet between him and the bed. To his credit, if he was at all disgruntled at taking her orders, he didn't let on, standing there obediently as she slid to the edge of the bed, rising to stand very slowly, like she still didn't quite trust him.

She licked her lips, though it seemed more of a nervous gesture this time. Her hands rose very slowly, drifting to behind her neck, before pausing for a moment. She took a deep, shaky breath that broke his heart a little, before undoing the ribbon that tied the halterneck of her dress in a sudden motion that she seemed to have to talk herself into.

The top half of her dress fluttered down, the material gathering at the waist and she let her hands drop down, flexing her fingers nervously, waiting for his reaction.

He allowed himself to glance at her breasts, now only clad in an intricate strapless construction of cornflower blue satin and lace, gasping as how perfect she was. His hands twitched at his sides, aching to touch her, but not daring to until she allowed it.

She had stared at him when she released the violet ribbon, making him feel strangely self conscious when he had inevitably stared at her chest, but her gaze drew his eyes back up to her face. Her expression was unreadable, her eyes intense as she reached behind her to undo the zip before she hesitated, spinning away from him suddenly, letting her hands drop back down to her sides.

"Can you...?" She murmured huskily, glancing over her shoulder at him, and he lurched forward as he realised what she meant. His hands shook as he reached for her, rubbing his clammy palms together before he tentatively took hold of the zip, pulling it down slowly, trying to avoid touching her skin.

He stepped closer without thinking, not being able to help himself, his fingertips drifting gently along the exposed skin he was revealing as he reached the bottom of the zip. She shivered as his fingers gently trailed along her spine and he froze, remembering himself for a second. He wasn't supposed to touch her until she told him to.

As if reading his mind, she reached behind her, running her hand over the back of his neck, and he complied with her unspoken request, pressing a line of soft kisses along her shoulder, the backs of his knuckles stroking up her spine. Her head dropped back, giving him better access as he continued to brush his lips tenderly against her neck, sweeping her hair to the side.

She gasped softly as his hand drifted from her back to rest gently on her waist, his lips still caressing the soft skin right under her ear, and she stepped away from him abruptly, spinning in place and hooking her thumbs into the sides of her loosened dress to push it over her hips. The material gave way and slid to the floor in a pool of amethyst pleats, revealing matching lace panties and miles of pale leg.

Don't gulp, he told himself. You're not a teenager. You've seen girls in their underwear before.

He gulped, powerless to stop himself, and she smiled, not a full smile, just a pleased tug of her lips that made him glad he'd not been able to hide his reaction.

His gaze slid down to the scar on her thigh before he could stop himself and he immediately hated himself as he saw her expression crumple when she noticed.

"I don't want to talk about that." She said suddenly, her hand twitching involuntarily to half cover it.

He nodded, saddened by her reluctance to open up. He didn't know if she noticed his reaction and read his mind, or corrected herself by herself, but she continued, her tone much softened.

"Not right now. I don't want to talk about it yet." She added softly, her hand still half-splayed across her scar, the other hanging limply by her side.

"That's ok." He said, quickly. She had shared more with than him that she had probably shared with anyone in twenty years. She didn't owe him anything.

There was a pause, where she regarded him curiously, her hand slowly shifting from covering her scar.

"I got shot." He said suddenly, as if she didn't know, pointing at his own scar.

"I know. You made a big thing of it." She rolled her eyes casually, as if they weren't standing in their underwear in front of each other.

"Made a big thing of it!" He repeated back to her. "Made a big thing out of it! Honestly!" He said incredulously, though a smile pulled at his lips.

She rolled her eyes, smiling at him before bending slightly to press a soft kiss against his scar.

"Poor baby." She muttered, before pressing another kiss against the puckered skin there. He gasped lightly at the feel of her lips pressing against him, trying to control his reaction.

She straightened suddenly, cocking her head to the side and looking at him curiously.

"Do you want to touch me?" She asked suddenly, no subtext to her question.

Alex paused for a second, taking a steadying breath before answering.

"Yes." He was secretly pleased at how clearly he had answered her, focusing on making his fingers lay still, knowing it wasn't an invitation.

"Why?" Her question was a challenge, and one that he didn't know how to answer. His body ached to be against hers, especially as she stood there almost bare to him, her fingers flexing at his sides telling him how much he wanted to reach out.

Because you're beautiful.

Because I want you.

"Because I love you." He said, meaning every word. Her mouth fell open, her smile frozen in place. "And I'd like to show you." He added, noticing the way her breath hitched in her throat, trying to hide her responses and failing miserably.

She blinked several times, at least ten times faster than usual, her tongue wetting her lip before she could process it.

"Alright." She muttered, and he wasn't sure if she was speaking to him or herself.

"Ok." She added, clearer this time, and if he was waiting for a clearer acceptance than that, he'd be waiting a long time. She reached forward, grasping his hesitant hands, wrapping them round her waist before he could protest.

"Ahhh..."

She kissed him as she pulled him flush against her body, her hands guiding his to the curve of her waist. She let him manoeuvre his hands to her hips, before letting them glide to the soft curve of her ass, pulling her against him gently. Her lips worked against his, letting her tongue set the pace.

He followed her slow intense pace for a few moments, until she disentangled herself from his touch, taking a sudden step back. Reaching behind her, she unhooked her bra, letting it slip from her body, leaving her bare to him. His eyes hungrily raked her all in as she coquettishly dropped one hip, smiling at him. She turned before he could touch her again and crawled back across the bed, laying herself down demurely on the pillows and batting her eyelashes at him.

"What are you waiting for?" She murmured huskily, as he stood stationery at the side of the bed. He needed no more invitation than that, immediately clambering across to her, remembering to keep his movements slow so as not to startle her. Crawling over to her, he couldn't help but notice the little hitch in her breath as his body came back into contact with hers. He wanted it to be arousal but he wasn't entirely sure, especially as she wound her arm around his neck to pull him down for another kiss, her palm clammy against his back.

He gently lowered his weight down, choosing to lie to her side, instead of on top of her, letting his hand rest lightly on her stomach. Her muscles were tense under his fingers and he pulled back to look at her for a second, trying to figure out if she was still ok. She gave nothing away with her expression, as her hand moved to cover his again, sliding it up to cup her breast.

He kissed her again, touching her reverently, as she arched her back into his touch, sighing into his mouth. He grinned into the kiss, shifting his weight slightly to get more comfortable, his erection brushing against her thigh as he did so. She froze, letting out a little gasp, her body tensing up again under his touch.

Pulling away from the kiss, he opened his mouth to ask if she was ok, but she cut him off before he could speak.

"I changed my mind." She said suddenly. His hand immediately withdrew from her chest, hovering awkwardly. "I don't want to do this anymore." She stated emotionlessly, her eyes darting wildly around his face.

He sighed sadly, but immediately started to pull away, rolling away from her, before her hand shot out to stop him. She grasped his shoulder, pulling him back to look at her.

"Wait! I... I just wanted..." She started, looking down, avoiding his confused expression. "I just wanted to make sure you'd stop if I said so."

"Don't say things like that." He said before he could stop himself. She dragged her gaze back up to meet his eyes, her expression so broken and uncertain he wanted to leave right there and then and hunt down anyone who had ever hurt her.

"I'm sorry." She said, automatically, as his hand came up to cup her cheek gently. She made a noise of frustration and flopped back on the pillow dramatically. "Ugh, I'm sorry." She repeated, more forcefully, clearly annoyed with herself, closing her eyes and resting the back of her hand across her face.

The moment was gone, the tone ruined, all for a burst of momentary panic. It wasn't even a real panic - She knew Alex would never hurt her, but she'd had a sudden sense of being out of control and vulnerable, a feeling she wasn't used to experiencing. She was preparing to apologise again, to try and explain to him that she wasn't playing games, when she felt his lips gently brush across her cheek. She froze as he planted a soft kiss against her cheek, then another on her jaw, then another on the side of her neck, sending tingles down her spine to her toes.

There was a pause, and she felt him shift next to her on the bed, and then his lips were back on her throat, at a slightly different angle this time. Her hand was still flung across her eyes, but she guessed he was leaning up on his elbow to get better access as he pressed the softest, most gentle kisses against the column of her throat, down to her collarbone. He didn't touch her anywhere else, and seemed to be making a conscious effort to stop his body from brushing against hers at all, and she smiled, knowing he'd see it. He withdrew for a moment, and then he kissed the palm of her outstretched hand where it lay across her face. His hand slid into hers, and she let him pull her hand away from her face, finally letting her eyes flutter open.

"Hi." She said quietly, blinking up at him a few times, smiling innocently at him.

"Hi." He grinned back at her, brushing the tip of his nose against hers.

They just looked at each other for what felt like a long time, till Alex's neck started to hurt from the way he was contorting his body to stop from touching her. Eventually, her hand snaked it's way back round the back of his neck and she tried to pull him down to kiss him, frowning when he resisted.

"No, no. It's ok. I don't-" He started, pulling his head back to regard her seriously. "We don't have to-"

She tutted and sighed, rolling her eyes at him, and pulled him down with a surprising strength to meet her lips once more.

"I want to." She murmured against his mouth. He paused, like he didn't believe her. "I do." She reiterated, wriggling closer to him, closing the awkward gap between them to illustrate her point. He kissed her back half-heartedly, like he still wasn't quite sure, narrowing his eyes at her between kisses.

Sighing again, she tried to explain, not really knowing what to say, when she didn't really understand her own feelings herself.

"I... can't promise not to freak out again, but it doesn't mean I don't want to do this. Trust me. I do. I want to." She cast her eyes down, focusing on a tiny mole on his chest, not realising how she had started to arch her body against his during the last few words. It definitely sold her point a little better and he felt himself relax a little, allowing his hand to drift down to delicately rest on the curve of her waist. She didn't flinch at his touch, which he took as a good sign.

"I get a little panicky when I feel... vulnerable." She said quietly, as his thumb stroked soothing circles against her hip bone.

"Me too." He admitted, watching her eyes widen as she smiled shyly at him.

He rolled away from her suddenly, smoothly jumping off the bed to stand and face her. There was a devilish glint in his eye, and she sat up, frowning at him curiously.

"So..." he began awkwardly. "This is me..." His hands found their way to the sides of his boxers. "...being vulnerable." He finished with a flourish, pushing his boxers to his feet, standing in front of her naked. She giggled and her hands automatically came to cover her eyes for a second, feeling a little overwhelmed by the unexpected moment.

If he was at all upset by her little giggle, he didn't show it, smiling confidently back at her, watching her reactions as her hands slid from her eyes. She let her gaze travel lazily down his body, taking it all in, her teeth unconsciously pulling at her bottom lip as her eyeline lingered on his erection that now bobbed free. She licked her lips, her breath hitching, enjoying the effect she was having on him. There was something strangely powerful about having that power over someone. Alex was thinking the same thing, equally enjoying watching the reaction he was having on her, observing her as her breath quickened, her thighs unconsciously rubbing together, her nipples hardening under his gaze. She knelt up on the bed abruptly, her eyes meeting his.

"Let's be vulnerable together then." She muttered, reaching down to wiggle out of her underwear, flicking them backwards with her legs till she was kneeling naked in front of him. A beat passed between them and he wanted to laugh at how cheesy her line was, but felt that would be the wrong thing to do under the circumstances. This beautiful, fragile creature, a woman who mere weeks ago wouldn't even take her dress off to have sex with him was sitting before him, trusting him with her body in a way she probably hadn't with anyone in years.

She giggled suddenly, breaking his reverie.

"Well, that was cheesy, huh?"

He nodded, grinning back at her as if they weren't both completely naked, until their eyes met again and something shifted between them. She held her hands out to him, and it was all the invitation he needed, closing the distance between them in a heartbeat, gently laying her back on the bed. His body covered hers as he kissed her deeply, holding his weight off her, his hands tangling in her curls. Her arms wound around his back, pulling his body flush against hers, gasping into his mouth as his erection pressed against her thigh. Her fear was gone though, this time, and she let her legs drop open, rubbing her ankles against the back of his calves, pulling him against her. Her head dropped back as he brushed against her core, and he took the opportunity to kiss her neck, letting his teeth graze her collarbone.

Her hand snaked it's way between them, grasping him lightly.

"Slow down," he murmured, smiling against her neck.

"Come on." She whined, using her hand to line him up. Her back arched up, pressing him against her entrance, trying to tempt him.

He paused. Every muscle in his body ached to slam into her, but he had wanted to take it so slow this time, treat her to every pleasure he could think of before even contemplating his own release. But, as she rubbed herself wantonly against him, her hand still wrapped around him, pressing him against her wet heat, he wasn't sure he could resist.

"Don't make me beg." She whispered against his ear, and he groaned, his hips surging forward an inch before he could control them. She gasped at little at the sudden intrusion, but it wasn't the same tense, uncomfortable sound as last time, and she hooked her legs behind him to pull him in closer, hissing as he slid deeper.

He paused for a moment, releasing a steadying breath, preparing himself for whatever her face might tell him when he pulled back to look at her. Her eyes were open this time and she had a smug, dreamy grin on her face, as if she knew he would be staring at her, checking her every reaction.

Moving very slowly, he pulled out, thrusting gently into her again, intently checking her face for any signs of distress. He saw none, watching as her eyes fluttered shut, her neck extending as her head fell back onto the pillows.

His head dropped down to her neck, resuming the peppering of soft kisses he could already tell she loved, rewarded with a soft moan. Assured that she was in no distress, he began to move in earnest now, keeping his pace as slow and gentle as he could bear, relishing the soft sighs filling his ears.

Her thighs came up to rest on either side of his hips, her hands moved to lightly grip his shoulders, and they moved together, his lips finding hers again, pressing against hers insistently. He kissed her roughly, his body rocking against hers, before dropping his lips to her neck again, noticing she had grown quieter, her sighs barely audible now. Frowning, he pulled back to look at her, displeased when he saw her face was almost neutral, her eyes flicking up to stare at him blankly for a split second before she rearranged her face into a dreamy smile. It was too late though. He had seen, and he stilled his movements, sighing heavily, as she frowned in confusion at him.

"You ok?" He whispered against her cheek, and she took a deep breath before giving a tiny nod of her head. Her hands drifted from his shoulders to stroke down the backs of his arms, where they were resting either side of her head. He was still for a moment, gazing down at her uncertainly while he tried to figure out what to do. The urge to pull out of her was overwhelming, but she bit her lip, her gaze flitting from his eyes to his lips and he wasn't entirely sure she wanted to stop. She looked back up at him, her expression tense and unsure, like she wasn't sure what she wanted him to do either.

"How about..." He started hesitantly, his hand moving from the pillow to trail down her side, coming to rest on her hip. "...we put you..." His hand slid down further, curling around her thigh, his fingers pressing into her flesh, holding her against him. "...in the driver's seat?" He finished, rolling them suddenly so that she was atop of him, trying to read her shrill gasp at the movement.

His hands moved to either side of her face, with the intention of pulling her back to look at her, gauging her reaction, but she rocked against him before he had chance. His head dropped back, his fingers tangling in her hair and all thoughts were gone from his head, as she rolled her hips tantalisingly slowly, letting out a soft moan.

"Better?" He ground out, as her hands found his shoulders, bracing herself as she moved above him.

"Mmm hmm." She murmured, digging her nails into his shoulders as she bucked against him. His hands trailed down her back, coming to rest on her tailbone, holding her in place while he bent his knees to thrust up into her. She let out a mewl, not of discomfort, but of slight annoyance, her hand shooting back to push his knees back down.

"No..." She murmured, leaning back to flatten his knees back, frowning at him. He breathed out a soft laugh, holding his hands out in mock surrender, before sliding them up her thighs again, resting them lightly on her hips as she set up a slow, torturous pace.

He was content to let her though, watching in fascination as her eyes drifted shut, her breasts bouncing as her chest heaved, biting her lip into her mouth to stifle the series of moans that threatened to fill the room.

Feeling his gaze on her face, her eyes sprung open, smiling down at him breathlessly, before reaching down to slide his hands up to cup her breasts. He complied, brushing his thumbs over her nipples, pleased when her breath hitched in her throat, her movements faltering for a second before she resumed, her pace increasing.

He pulled her down to kiss her again, his hands either side of her face, really just needing an excuse to close his eyes for a moment to regain his composure. The sight of her squirming above him, the weight of her small breasts filling his hands, the sounds of her muffled moans filling his ears were almost too much for him, and he slowed her for a moment, kissing her frantically before she pulled away, sitting back up and pulling him up with her.

Her movements continued, faster and more frenzied now, their new position driving him deeper every time she sank down, her thighs trembling. His hands wrapped around her back, holding her against him, one hand rising to tangle in the hair at the back of her neck, the other drifting down to cup her ass, urging her on as her hips continued their hurried pace.

She kissed him sloppily, before pressing open mouthed kisses against his jaw, his shoulder, his throat, anywhere her lips could reach as she bounced, her soft moans turning into strangled cries as he felt her body tighten around him.

She grew almost silent for a moment, holding her breath as she snapped her hips back and forth furiously a few more times, digging her finger tips into his shoulders. Alex was briefly concerned at her silence, leaning back just in time to watch her face contort with pleasure, her eyes squeezing shut, her whole body trembling. She clung to him desperately, her nails raking from his shoulders down his arms as she let out a long, ragged moan, an almost surprised sound as she bucked feebly against him a few more times before he fell back, letting her collapse bonelessly on top of him.

She didn't protest this time when he raised his knees up, using them to thrust up into her a few more times, before finding his own release only moments later, groaning against her shoulder, enjoying the soft mewling sounds she made as the aftershocks of her own orgasm continued to shudder through her.

They lay still for a while, panting breathlessly, the sweat cooling on their bodies, his hands stroking gently up and down her back, enjoying the occasional shiver that ran through her still. She was so still on top of him, her breathing so even in his ear, that he started to wonder if she had passed out.

"Are you dead?" He whispered, glad when he felt her breath out a little laugh. She pushed herself up on shaking arms to gaze dreamily down at him.

"Almost." She whispered back, hissing softly when she raised herself off of him, their bodies disentangling, flopping down next to him on the bed.

It took every ounce of strength he had to pull his weak body up for a moment, reaching towards the end of the bed for the sheet, before dropping back to the pillows, covering them both with the sheet.

"Thanks." She murmured, already sounding half asleep, letting him pull the sheet up to her chest and take her hand gently in his own.

She curled half onto her side, facing away from him, her eyes flickering open for a moment to stare at the door, a smile playing on her lips.

"I'm back on the side closest to the door." She grumbled quietly, feeling him chuckle behind her, his grip on her hand tightening.

"I do not have the strength to drag you to this side of the bed right now." He murmured back, and she could hear the smile in his voice.

He rolled over, curling his body around hers, letting her pull their entwined hands against her chest.

"That's ok. I'll scare off the monsters tonight..." She trailed off into a yawn, then, seconds later, her deep even breathing that told him she was asleep.

Pressing himself even more snugly against her back, he felt unconsciousness pulling at him too, and fell into the deepest and most peaceful sleep he had had in years.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Was it... Was it ok? Was it good for you? ;)
> 
> Hope you liked the first of many shagging chapters. Reviews are life! Thank you for your comments and reviews for the last coupla chapters.
> 
> Anyhoo, I've starting writing a one shot about what could have happened if Bob Paris caught Norma with Alex at The Arcanum Club and mistook her for a call girl and it's just shameless smutty silliness so let me know how you feel about that. It should be finished soon, so that will be coming soon, so add me to your authors list if that sounds like the kind of ridiculous shag-centric filth you might like to read. :)
> 
> Love you guys! Thanks for reading! Lemme know what you think. xxx


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for your fantastic response to The Sex! Your reviews and messages were sooooo lovely! I love you guys! Hope you like the twists and turns I have planned for us. The next couple of chapters will address some of the issues that have been playing on some of your minds for a while now... ;)

"Morning." She murmured sleepily, waking to find him beaming at her.

"Good morning," he replied, leaning closer to peck her lightly on the lips.

They were lying facing each other, their legs still entangled, his arm wrapped round her waist, his fingers tracing lazy circles on her lower back.

"Last night was..." She started, biting her lip coyly to keep her smile from growing ridiculous.

"Yeah." He nodded. "It was." He failed miserably to suppress his own pleased grin.

They looked at each other for what felt like a long time, sharing a comfortable silence, listening to the birds singing outside the window, last night's storm a distant memory.

"Can I ask you something?" He said suddenly.

"You just did."

He rolled his eyes. She was infuriating and he loved it.

"The first time we slept together..." He ventured, and she immediately tensed up a little, fixing him with a deliberately neutral expression. "Did you like it?"

The question would have been absurdly juvenile if they hadn't both known the answer. Or at least, he suspected he knew the answer.

"Of course." She answered, automatically, her eyes flicking down to his chest then back up to his face, her patented innocent Norma Bates Smile in place.

"Don't lie to me, Norma." He said kindly. His tone wasn't accusing, nor was his gaze harsh as he stared at her intently. "Did you like it?" He repeated.

"Alex..." Her tone was whiny as she flopped back on the pillow, clearly embarrassed by the whole thing. Her arm dropped across her face, covering the flush that had coloured her cheeks. There was a long silence where she hoped if she covered her face for long enough he might just drop it, but when she let her arm slide away, he was still gazing at her, waiting for an answer.

"I didn't _hate_ it." She finally admitted, shrugging helplessly, as he let his mouth drop open in mock horror.

"Right. That's it!" He moved very suddenly and for a split second, she thought he was going to leave, before he slid down, disappearing under the sheet.

"Alex!" She giggled out helplessly, as his stubble tickled the inside of her thigh. "Alex! Stop!"

Her giggles subsided as she felt him kiss a path up along her leg, his hands sliding up the underside of her knees.

"Alex, Alex. Wait." She clamped her legs together, retreating up towards the bedstead a little.

His head appeared from under the sheet suddenly, his chin resting on her stomach.

"Why?" He said innocently, cocking his head at her, looking entirely ridiculous with the sheet still wrapped round his head like a nun's habit.

"I just.. I just don't like it." She shrugged casually, her tone shrill and tight.

He smirked at her wickedly.

"Trust me. You'll like it with me." He said cockily, earning a "pffft" in response, before he disappeared back under the sheet. She bristled at his arrogance, and at the fact that he was literally ignoring her lack of consent, and she crossed her arms across her chest, determined to lay there like a cold fish and make him regret ignoring her wishes.

She ignored the press of his lips against her stomach, ignored the little lick he flicked over her bellybutton, ignored the feel of his hot breath gliding over her flesh.

"You're wasting your time." She trilled out, her tone sing-songy, staring up at the ceiling. There had always been something too intimate about the act that had just never interested her, and she'd never been able to let go enough to enjoy it all that much. Not that many men she'd been with had been overly invested in spending too much time on her pleasure. Sam had tried once, but he'd been drunk and he'd bitten her thigh hard enough to draw blood. She twitched at the memory. Don't think about that now. In fact, don't think about anything. You're a cold fish right now. Teach him a lesson about arrogance. You know what they always say. Pride comes before a-

She gasped as he lightly dragged his nails down her thighs, making goosebumps spring up all over her body. Her train of thought was lost, as he repeated the action, sending tingles down to her toes. She forgot about her plan for a moment, and let her thighs drop open wantonly. She expected him to dive right in, but he didn't, letting his fingertips trace long, smooth paths from her hips to her calves and back again, apparently in no hurry.

After what felt like an age of just his nails lightly grazing across her flesh, making her squirm, his lips were finally on her again, pressing soft kisses against the inside of her left knee. Her breaths shallowed as he kissed a slow, lazy trail up the inside of her thigh, pausing when he reached her core. She shivered with anticipation as she felt his hot breath against her, before he pulled back suddenly, wriggling back down under the covers to kiss her right knee this time. She huffed out an exasperated sigh before remembering that she wasn't supposed to be enjoying this. He was teasing her and she wouldn't rise to it, recrossing her arms across her chest and trying not to tremble as he kissed another matching path up her right leg. He paused again and she waited, holding her breath for what was about to come next.

His breath felt hot against her, and despite her reservations and stubbornness, she felt a strange sense of excitement for what was about to happen. Which is why she couldn't stop the groan of frustration when he deliberately skipped where she wanted his mouth so badly, pressing his smiling lips against her abdomen instead.

"Oh my god!" She growled out, her hands slapping down on the bed in irritation. "Just do it!" She felt him smile triumphantly against her skin and was about to chastise him when his tongue found it's intended target and all her thoughts disappeared. He lapped at her gently, using the flat of his tongue in long, slow strokes, as though introducing her to the feeling.

Her thighs opened even wider involuntarily and she bit her lip to suppress a moan. One hand slid under her leg, wrapping around her to grasp her hip, holding her in place as he continued his ministrations. His tongue changed tact abruptly, just as she was getting used to the feeling, flicking up to her little bundle of nerves, making her arch off the bed. His hand pressed insistently against her hip, trying to hold her down as she squirmed, his tongue flicking out again and again.

His other hand trailed up the underside of her leg, before coming up to meet where his mouth was, a single digit sliding inside.

She moaned this time before she could stop herself. His finger curled upwards just as his tongue pressed hard against her clit and she bucked against him. It was too much. It wasn't enough. It was perfect. Why had she spent her whole life avoiding, rushing and faking her way through this?

Her breaths were coming out in short, shallow pants now, one hand intuitively coming to grab at her own breast, the other reaching behind her to grasp the headboard, trying to ground herself somehow. It was useless, of course, as she felt herself come undone as her climax grew nearer, her thighs thrashing wildly, her hips bucking off the bed, her moans growing louder.

His style changed again and the movement of his fingers sped up suddenly, his tongue now flicking wildly back and forth across her clit. She sucked her lip into her mouth, one hand tangling in her own hair, the other dropping to rest on his head through the sheet, growing very silent all of a sudden. He didn't know her well enough yet, and slowed for a split second, clearly slightly alarmed by her sudden silence.

"Don't stop, don't stop, don't stop." She panted out desperately, tugging his hair painfully through the sheet, and he obliged, continuing his work while she trembled. She grew quiet again for a few more seconds, her breaths echoing loudly around the room, before she shuddered hard under him, releasing a shaky scream that was so perfect he wished he could record it and make it his ringtone. Withdrawing his fingers, he lapped at her gently a couple more times, earning him a couple of little jittery aftershocks, before discreetly wiping his mouth on the back of his hand and suddenly popping his head out of the sheet.

She was beautiful, her face flushed, her lip swollen from where she had sucked it into her mouth, her blonde curls laying wild around her face. Glancing down at him, she immediately rolled her eyes at him, embarrassedly pushing some of her hair across her eyes - She had literally never seen a man look so pleased with himself.

"Shut up." She said from behind her hair, before he'd even said a word. He rested his elbows either side of her waist, resting his chin on her left hip bone, pouting thoughtfully like he was trying to remember something.

"Ya know, for someone who "just doesn't like it", you kinda seemed to like that." He said, smirking at her, watching as she emerged, red faced from behind her bangs to glare at him, a smile pulling at her lips.

"I hate you." She pouted at him. He wriggled up her body to come and lie next to her, his leg still flung across hers, his hand resting comfortably on her ribcage.

"Love you too, Mrs Romero."

She bristled at his words, growling adorably at him, before grasping at his arms, rolling them so she was on top of him. With no further pre-amble, she reached between them, guiding him to her entrance and sinking down on him. She smirked as his head dropped back on the pillow, pleased that she had regained the upper hand. Rolling her hips tantalisingly slowly, her hands shot out to grip his before they could reach for her, slamming them down either side of his head. His eyes shot open to find her self-satisfied little smile mere inches from his face, his fingers flexing a little where she had them pinned, aching to touch her.

"I told you," she whispered seductively. "I'm keeping my name."


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I accidentally posted chapter 17 again. Many thanks to whoever pointed that out. Sorry about that guys. I deleted it. Here is the real chapter 18. Hope you enjoy!

After a thoroughly tiring morning rolling around the sheets, Norma had managed to tempt him from their bed, pulling him for one last round in the shower before dressing and sitting on the bed, her shoes on, her purse sat next to her, her face innocent and expectant.

He wandered out of the bathroom, taking in her excited little face, rubbing his shoulder tenderly. She weighed almost nothing, but he wasn't as young as he used to be, and holding her up had taken it out of him a little. She narrowed her eyes at him and he dropped his hand, not wanting to let on that she'd tired him out, especially as she gazed at him so cheerfully, looking entirely fresh-faced.

"I'm exhausted." She announced happily, stifling a yawn, and he was instantly strangely sorry that women had the luxury of makeup to cover up their exhaustion. He wasn't in his twenties anymore. Their night, plus their morning, plus their early afternoon had tuckered him out more than he cared to admit but he wouldn't change any of it for anything.

"Me too." He said, catching her contagious yawn, stretching his arms to the ceiling, pleased when he watched her gaze drift down to his bare torso. She was insatiable.

"Put a shirt on." She rolled her eyes, her tone playful, as if she could ever get tired of seeing his body.

"Why?" He stalked over to her, his eyes wide and innocent, his hand drifting playfully to where his towel was wrapped around his hips. "Can't resist me?"

He leaned in to kiss her, frowning when she pressed her hand against his chest, keeping him at arms length.

"Stop it." She said mildly, pretending not to be affected by him at all, her quickened breathing giving her away. "We have things to do."

He glanced at the clock, frowning.

"Our flight isn't for hours?"

Her face fell.

"But... the lighthouse?" She said, sounding like she was literally five years old and someone had just taken her candy off her. "You promised."

He rolled his eyes, his face breaking into a wide smile, watching as she mimicked his expression.

"How could I forget?" He surged forwards, breaking free of her hand and leaning down to kiss her before she could stop him. It was an innocent peck for all of 5 seconds, before her hand lightly grasped his shoulder, and she flopped back onto the bed, pulling him on top of her.

She moaned into his mouth, her hand drifting down his back to where his towel sat snugly against the small of his back, her fingers toying with the cotton, before he reared back suddenly.

"Now, now Mrs Romero." He chastised gently, untangling himself from her and pulling himself back up to stand up. He took her hand and pulled her to sit upright again. "We have things to do."

There was a knock on the door and they both jumped.

"Room service."

"Did you order breakfast?" She asked, cocking her head to the side.

"No. You were breakfast."

Her mouth dropped open, pretending to be deeply offended by his crass comment as he sauntered over to the door, flashing her a dirty grin before swinging it open.

"Good morning!" The smartly dressed waiter trilled at them automatically, despite the fact that it was clearly afternoon. "The bride and groom sent this, with their compliments. They also said-" The boy reached into his pocket to pull out a card, reading it intently. "Hope you enjoyed the honeymoon. Have a great last day here. Love you both lots." The young man blushed and Norma smiled, realising Sarah must have written the card. He unveiled the tray with a flourish, revealing two huge slices of wedding cake, and a pot of coffee. Sarah had kept her promise. Looked like it was cake for breakfast.

The Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse and Museum was literally one of the most boring places Alex had ever been to. But somehow, with Norma, this new, happy, open Norma, it was fun. She had a childlike innocence to her that, until now, he'd only seen flashes of. He'd seen a glimpse when he'd got her car back for her, and once, when he'd been staying at the motel and she'd called him to deal with a "fucking tarantula" in her kitchen that had turned out to be roughly an inch across. She's insisted he take it outside, not kill it though, and had insisted on making them both an "adult beverage" as a reward for surviving their ordeal. Her smile as she'd watched that spider amble off into the grass, coupled with the grateful hug she'd rewarded him with had stayed with him for months afterwards, and he now saw that same Norma again as she bounded around the incredibly boring museum, dutifully reading each little placard of information like her life depended on it.

"It was first lit in 1860!" She read, casting him an awed gaze over her shoulder, and he watched as her gaze grew distant and he knew she was wondering what 1860 was like. He wondered when he had been able to read her thoughts so clearly, watching as she bit her lip dreamily, a curious smile playing on her face before moving on to read the next placard.

He spent most of their trip fairly quiet, watching her run around like a child, smiling at her gentle wonder at a fairly mundane place, letting her grab his hand and pull him up the steps at a pace his worn-out body protested at. They burst out of the doors at the top of the stairs breathlessly and for a second, they didn't even notice the views around them, both of them bending slightly at the waist, trying to catch their breath. His muscles were burning in protest, feeling the dull pain in his thighs and his arms from their activities, taking a few deep breaths, glancing over at her.

Her face was contorted in mild pain as she puffed out a breath, her hands pressed against the front of her thighs as she bent forwards.

"Oof." She panted out cutely, glancing at him. "I ache." She said simply, straightening up, her hands on her waist. He was at her side in a heartbeat, his own pains forgotten as she rubbed her thighs together, wincing lightly, her hands flexing against her hips.

"Oh my god. I'm so-" He panted out, still slightly out of breath, his tone aghast as he shook his head at his own selfishness. She cut him off with a brief kiss, before shooting a glance around them at the handful of people also at the top of the lighthouse.

"A good ache." She whispered conspiratorially, sucking her bottom lip into her mouth for a moment, watching as his horrified expression smoothed into a cheeky grin, his hands drifting to her waist.

"Excuse me?" A voice drifted over to them, and his hands snatched back as if they'd been doing something wrong.

They both turned to see a young couple staring at them uncertainly. The girl had curly auburn hair that was dancing around wildly in the breeze, her arm wrapped around a tall young man's waist. Though his hair was dark, Norma cocked her head for a moment, seeing Dylan and Emma in the young pair for a moment.

"Hi." She said sweetly, smiling at them both.

"Would you mind taking a picture of us?" The boy said, holding out his cell phone to Alex, who took it from his hands.

"Of course." He said gently, watching out of the corner of his eye as Norma smiled broadly at him, knowing he was earning silent brownie points with his sweetness.

He fumbled with the overly fancy cell phone for a moment (He'd never been an apple man) before narrowing his eyes, the couple appearing in the viewfinder.

"Ok... Say Florida Keyes!" He said, in a moment so cute that Norma could have died on the spot, watching as the adorable couple posed, obeying his request, smiling through the words. He took the picture, and Norma was surprised to see him take a couple of photos after the couple had stopped posing, capturing a few shots of them staring happily at each other, their smiles growing more natural as they naturally giggled at each other, not knowing he had carried on taking pictures. It was only a couple of extra shots, but Norma's heart soared as she watched him do it, a small smile playing on his lips as he captured a few candid moments between the young couple that reminded so much of her son and the girl she knew he'd grown to love.

"Thank you." The girl said kindly, taking her boyfriend's phone back and immediately turning back towards the view. There was something endearing in her not wanting to see the pictures immediately, and Norma found herself smiling at them, before turning her attention to the view they were so preoccupied with.

"Wow." She breathed out, walking to the opposite end to that of the couple. It was quiet enough up there that there was enough room for them all to have their own little space, and she felt Alex's arm drape around her shoulders as she took in the view. It was hard to believe that it was the same sky that had been lit up with thunder and lightening the night before, the blue skies drifting on indefinitely now, sweeping across the horizon. Rightly so, the harsh weather felt a lifetime ago and he felt a happy sigh escape him, pressing a soft kiss against her temple.

"Excuse me?" A soft voice rang out, and they both glanced over their shoulder at the young woman who was leaning in towards them.

"Do you want us to take one of you?"

They hadn't even considered that, but even as Norma slipped a smile onto her face, ready to politely decline, she felt Alex pull away, pulling his phone out of his pocket.

"Yeah, actually. Thanks."

He slunk his arm back around Norma's shoulders, pulling her in close as the woman lined up the shot.

"Get the sea in!" The boy advised, leaning across her to push the phone a few inches to the left, and they all smiled at his advice, before Alex tickled Norma in the ribs, knowing the girl would capture a few shots of them really giggling before she handed the phone back to him, smiling politely.

"There you go."

"Thank you." Norma said gratefully, taking the phone off the girl, watching as Alex's gaze grew preoccupied.

"You ok?" She asked gently, as they both turned their attention to the magnificent view, watching as his brow furrowed.

He nodded automatically.

That girl's hair, the auburn waves flowing lightly through the breeze had reminded him of something he still needed to talk to Norma about. There'd been so much honesty the past 12 hours - He owed her some of his own.

"Norma?-" He started, watching as her blonde curls whipped around her face, her hand slipping into his own, her face turning to gaze at him questioningly.

Not here. Not now. Find the right moment.

"Do you wanna get barbecue for lunch?"

"OMG yes!"

1 month earlier...

"Guess who?" A voice trilled out in his ear, only just audible over the sound of the crowds.

A pair of hands slipped round Alex's eyes from behind, interrupting his view of the festival. He smiled. He knew she'd come.

"Thought you weren't coming-" He started, removing her hands from his eyes, spinning round and freezing when he found himself face to face with his ex.

"Why? I'd never miss the festival." She smiled up at him, the smile fading slightly as he took a shaky step away from her, his face looking mildly disturbed by her proximity. It wasn't the reaction a woman hoped for.

"Rebecca." He said formally.

"Alex." She mimicked his formal tone, smirking up at him.

"Who did you think I was?" She asked innocently, flicking a flame red lock out of her face.

"My wife." He said coolly, turning on his heel to leave, pausing when she reached out for him, her hand gently catching his arm.

"Wait! Alex," She started, her tone softening. "We were friends once. There's no need to be like this."

He sighed, letting her pull him back, but still retaining his distance. She was like one of those carnivorous plants - He knew from experience what would happen if he got too close. He fixed her with a hard stare, before letting his gaze soften slightly. The woman had done nothing wrong, beyond falling for him, and being manipulative, neither of which were crimes, and he endeavoured to keep the harshness from his face.

"Are you enjoying the festival?" She said lightly, gesturing at the prettily lit crowds of happy festival-goers.

"It's not bad." He said casually. He'd always enjoyed the Winter Festival, but it wasn't particularly manly to admit that. Besides, he would have enjoyed it more if Norma had shown up, his eyes wandering over to the small dancefloor, watching a handful of couples sway in each other's arms, their romantic grins lit up by the canopy of twinkling lights. A smile played on his lips, holding out a tiny spark of hope that maybe she might still show up. He must be losing his edge, because he found himself really wanting to dance with her under that canopy.

His eyes flickered back to Rebecca, who had followed his gaze, and was biting her lip nervously as she watched him.

"You wanna dance?" She uttered, her tone light and airy, but her face betraying her hopefulness. He shook his head slightly, sighing at the ground, rubbing his thumb across his lip.

"I don't think so, Becs." He took no pleasure in hurting her. Sure she was annoying, and she had become a nuisance towards the end of their... arrangement, but she hadn't really done anything to warrant the scorn he felt towards her.

"Becs." She repeated quietly under her breath, laughing softly. "You haven't called me that in a long time. Not since..." She laughed suddenly. "Not since that night, up at Bob's cabin..."

Her voice trailed off as they both remembered. She had told him it was her uncle's cabin, told him it would be good for him to get away from work, for them both to get away from White Pine Bay for the weekend. Once there, he had figured out that Bob Paris actually owned the cabin, leading to their biggest fight ever, leading to their biggest make up ever.

"Remember the hot tub..." She said seductively, her hand running down his tie. He chuckled despite himself, gently pulling his tie out of her grasp.

"Yeah, Rebecca. I remember."

Her eyes lit up pathetically.

"That hot tub's still there. I still have the spare key to that cabin. We could be there before-"

He crossed his arms across his body, realising it was a mistake to reminisce with her, even for a second, his body language growing defensive.

"No, Rebecca." He said seriously. "I'm married now."

She laughed coldly, a shrill peal that grew looks from the people around them.

"Of course. How could I forget? The notorious Norma Bates."

She leaned in close, and Alex could now smell the faint hint of whiskey on her breath. She wouldn't be the first to fall victim to the ridiculously strong hot toddies. He said nothing, just fixed her with a hard stare.

"So tell me, Alex, what's so special about this Norma Bates?"

When he didn't answer, she ploughed on, not noticing the way the muscle in his cheek tensed, his hands balling into fists.

"What's she got that I haven't?" Her tone was playful, but her eyes were wide and desperate and sad.

It was the question he'd been waiting for and at least a dozen unkind, unpleasant answers ran through his mind before he settled on saying nothing again. There was no need to be cruel.

Her demeanour shifted and her desperate expression slipped into a calculated grin.

"Let me answer for you then. What does Norma Bates have that I don't?" She asked herself again, tapping her finger against a lip as if deep in thought. "Well, for one, a sick son, with bills to pay."

Alex tensed, his whole body freezing. He felt like time stood still for a moment, the sounds of the frivolities around him blurring away to nothing, the only sound his heart beating too loud in his ears.

"What?" He choked out, immediately angry with himself for sounding so panicked.

"I did a little digging. It's crazy the info you can get on someone once you have their bank details."

Alex's blood ran cold.

"Seems Norma Bates is broke. And yet, her son is at the most expensive medical facility in the state. Isn't that strange?"

She smiled, just a brief glint of her sharp white teeth, looking every part the shark that she was.

"Thank god for all that insurance money she's got rolling in from you. Isn't that convenient?"

"Careful, Rebecca." He said, his eyes glinting dangerously at her.

She laughed, like she'd got him on the ropes, leaning up to murmur softly in his ear.

"She's barely done spending the insurance money from her last husband, and now you've come along, just as the account's running dry. How handy. How did he die again? An accident wasn't it?"

His hand shot out to grab her elbow, pulling her close, his breath stirring her hair, her eyes wild as she gazed up at him. She wasn't scared. She was excited. She loved the game.

"What do you want?" He muttered darkly, watching as her face crumpled, hurt and confusion crossing her features. She seemed aghast he couldn't already tell what she wanted.

"What I always wanted. I just want you." She whispered pathetically, mewling as his grip tightened slightly on her arm.

"Well, you can't have me. I'm married. Happily married."

"To a murderer!" She shouted, and he glanced over his shoulder, his eyes darting wildly around the carnival, making sure no-one had heard.

Without another word, he tightened his grasp around her elbow, ignoring the slight hiss of pain she let out, and pulled her away from the crowds and the noise and the curious ears that could hear the wrong thing.

"Alex...? Stop." She half-heartedly mumbled, as she let him drag her, faster than her stumbling feet could move, away from the protection of the crowds and the noise to a secluded alleyway. Her eyes shone with arousal and fear in equal measure, even as she idly tried to pull herself out of his punishing grip.

"I don't blame her, ya know." She said quietly, and his steps faltered, her heels clicking to a stop behind him. He thought he heard another set of footsteps in the distance, but dismissed it as an echo, as his mind raced. "He beat her. Did you know that?"

"Yes." He said quietly. He'd seen the police reports and he didn't doubt that Rebecca probably had connections right under his nose in his own department, and that she had probably seen them too. There were only a handful of reports but they painted an ugly picture - Neighbours reporting domestic disturbances, but always being sent away with no charges being pressed; Child services being called, but finding no evidence of the children being harmed at all. He knew what all that added up to, but he refused to let himself think about it. From what he had read, he didn't doubt that Sam had been a violent man, and it made his heart ache to think of Norma being harmed by him, but he had a sliver of hope at the reports of the children not being harmed. Surely a man who stopped short of hurting children couldn't have been as bad as he feared? He clung to that thought desperately, even as he found himself reading and rereading those tiny, fractured police reports over and over again.

"Maybe she did what she thought she had to?" She said quietly, and Alex sighed again, letting his head drop in defeat, before realising he was giving her exactly what she wanted. She was manipulating him, letting him think she was on Norma's side, and by extension, his side. She wasn't though. She was only ever on Team Rebecca.

He starting walking again, squeezing her arm and yanking him along with him and he heard her let out a pathetic, calculated little cry. She knew she had lost at that point and changed tact.

"Alex? You're hurting me." Her voice was frail, soft and gentle, everything Rebecca was not, and it just made him angrier, his breaths coming out too hard as he realised he had almost let her get to him.

"No I'm not." He growled out, digging his fingers in even harder, earning him a little yelp, swinging her round to face him.

"If I wanted to hurt you, you'd know it." He said menacingly and she shrunk away from him a little, taking a tiny step back.

"Maybe Norma Bates has made the same mistake again. Maybe she's just swapped one abusive husband for another?" She spat nastily, lifting her head up haughtily, obviously not believing her own words at all. They got the intended reaction though, as his nostrils flared, his teeth gritting as he took in her triumphant grin.

His hands shot out to grasp her shoulders, slamming her back hard enough against the wall to probably have hurt her. A flicker of guilt shadowed his face, before he replaced it with a glare, watching as she gasped, clearly surprised by his actions. Her fear was soon gone though, as she giggled at him, letting her hands sweep up his biceps, leaning her hips forward.

"Oh Sheriff." She breathed out, licking her lips like this was all some game.

"I'm warning you, Rebecca. Don't fuck with me."

She rolled her eyes, like she was bored of the whole thing.

"Oh Alex, is this the part where you give me the "I'll burn you to the ground" speech? I know you too well, remember?"

"No." He ground out, pulling her forward a few inches and then shoving her back against the wall again, the little shake getting her full attention as the smile fell from her face. "I will kill you." He ground the words out slowly and surely, his voice low and dangerous. "I will not hesitate to kill you. You are nothing to me, you understand that? If you come near me, or my wife again, if I hear one whisper of you checking police records, or bank accounts or any of that shit, you will disappear and you and I both know I can make people disappear very easily in this town, understand?"

She nodded, her breath hitching in her throat, her eyes glistening with unshed tears.

"Say it."

"I understand." She whimpered.

He released her, taking a sharp step back and she stumbled forwards, panting shakily, her arms immediately wrapping round herself to rub where his hands had dug in. It was everything he could do not to catch her as she tripped forwards, but his hands remained where they were, twitching at his sides. He couldn't let her know he hadn't meant any of it.

He hated Rebecca. He really did. He hated her manipulative ways and her game playing and her relentless loyalty to him when he was nothing but dismissive to her, but he would never hurt her - Not really. But he needed her to think he would, so he stood stoically, watched as she struggled to find her feet after he released her, watched as her tears began to fall, watched as she rubbed at her sore shoulders, her face a mess of emotions as she came to terms with the fact that she man she'd been in love with had threatened to kill her.

He shot her a cold look as she glanced up at him, tears spilling freely now.

"How long?" She sobbed out, and he floundered for a moment. For a second, he wondered if she was asking him how long he'd been in love with Norma Bates and he shocked himself, wondering when he started thinking of himself as being "in love with Norma Bates."

"How long till you do something wrong? Or your insurance runs dry? Or her motel fails and you can't afford to bail her out?" She sobbed out, her body still half turned away from him protectively.

"Goodnight Rebecca." He said coolly, turning to walk away, feeling her hand tentatively reach out, grasping his jacket but not his actual arm. Good. She was afraid to actually grab him. He felt a triumphant little thrill that also made his stomach turn. He was happy he'd made a woman afraid of him. The thought made him feel sick.

"She killed him, Alex!" Her voice rang out raggedly through the alleyway. "You and I both know it! She killed him for his insurance, and she'll do the same to you. I can't lose you..."

He shrugged her hand off him, turning away without glancing at her face.

"You already lost me, Rebecca."


	19. Chapter 19

There was no first class upgrade on the way home. They hadn't expected it really, since Gabe was married now, and on his honeymoon and had better things to do with his time and his money now. This time though, they didn't really mind it, as she leaned her thigh casually against his, no longer aching from the effort of holding her body rigid in her seat. She watched in awe as the land slipped further and further away from them, the Florida coastline blurring as they ascended.

Sighing happily, she leaned back in her seat, feeling his hand find her knee as he leaned in close, watching their ascent with interest over her shoulder.

"Mr and Mrs Romero!" A shrill voice trilled at them from the aisle and they turned their heads to see their flight attendant from the journey there beaming at them.

"Hi there, Natalie." Alex said, warmly and Norma was immediately glad he was there, because there was no way she would have remembered the girl's name without him.

"I hope you had a good honeymoon?" She said, half as a question.

"It was lovely, thank you." Norma said, genuinely, sharing a small smile with Alex before grinning up at the girl. She winked back at her, knowingly, before glancing around the cabin conspicuously. "No upgrade today I'm afraid." She started, in a stage whisper.

"Well, that's ok." Norma said sweetly, noticing that the girl seemed to have taken a real liking to them.

"So, no champagne today." She started, with a mock-pout. "But..." She pulled her hand out of her pocket, pulling out two miniature tequila bottles, and two miniature bourbon bottles with a discreet little flourish. "Ta-da! These are on the house!"

"Oh Natalie. That's so sweet. Thank you." Norma said gratefully, as she deposited the bottles on Alex's tiny tray table, before slinking away like she'd pulled off the heist of the century. Alex and Norma shared a little grin at the girl's gesture, genuinely touched, if not slightly amused.

"What? She couldn't have snuck us salt and lime aswell?" Alex griped mildly, holding up the tiny tequila bottle with interest.

She struck him on the shoulder.

"Hush. She's sweet." She chastised him quietly, before opening the bourbon bottle, taking a small sip without so much as a wince, earning Alex's silent respect.

She had sipped from the tiny whiskey bottle for a few minutes, staring out of the window intensely as she listened to him take his own drink.

"So..." She started, seriously, turning in her seat to face him.

"So?" He parroted back, mimicking her sincerity, earning him an eye roll.

She took a deep breath, before turning back to the window, watching the clouds wisp by as they moved above them, deciding it would be easier to say this without looking at him.

"Will you break it off with the redhead?" She blurted out, and she deliberately kept her tone neutral, leaving the question ambiguous. Was she simply asking if he intended to break it off, or was she asking him to do so?

She heard him hiss a breath in next to her and there was a pause that seemed to stretch on forever. She finished her drink.

"What do you mean?" He said eventually, and she was disappointed he had taken that route.

She wasn't going to humour him, or skirt around this anymore.

"I saw you. With her. I went to the winter carnival. I wanted to surprise you, but I saw you with her." The words tumbled out too fast.

His breath hitched in his throat and she dared not look at him, her fingers gripping hard on her arm rest as she remembered the way it had felt to watch him with that other girl.

"I... " He started, nervously, puffing air out awkwardly. "What exactly did you see?"

She pressed her lips together for a moment, before shaking her head slightly, managing to keep her tone neutral as she recounted what she had seen.

"I saw you with her. You pulled her away from the festival. You... pushed her against a wall." She gulped, trying to keep the jealousy out of her voice. "I'd seen enough at that point."

He laughed, a short breathless sound that almost had her turning to look at him over her shoulder.

"I was threatening her." He said simply.

"Ok." Norma shot back, like she didn't believe him.

"No. Really. I was threatening her. Me and Rebecca - We used to... date." She bristled at the implication of his words and at her foe finally having a name. "When I married you, she... became a nuisance." There was a long pause like he thought that might be enough of the story. When she remained stoicly silent, he pressed on. "She's crazy. Always has been, but... she started threatening you, starting threatening our marriage, and I lost it. I... " He paused, his tone darkening.

"I threatened to kill her if she hurt you." He finished quietly, clearly ashamed of himself. Norma stared out of the window, her vision now fixed on nothing. As a woman who had been threatened and intimidated by men her whole life, she wanted to hate the idea of this woman being scared by the man she loved. But try as she might, she couldn't help but feel safe at the notion that this man was ready to shun women from his past to protect her. She turned in her seat, still feeling conflicted, catching his tortured look.

"I would never have hurt her." He clarified, clearly not forgetting the intimidation she had suffered at the hands of men. "Not really. I just wanted to scare her. I just wanted to protect you." He said in a small voice, his eyes never leaving her uncertain face.

She leaned forward to press her forehead against his, forgiving him and thanking him without the need for words, before pulling back suddenly, remembering something.

"The lipstick on your uniform? The perfume?" She added, suspiciously. "It wasn't hers?"

He laughed, biting his lip like he was in on some big secret.

"Some girl lost her dog." He said, not answering her question at all, while a smile tugged at his lips. "Someone brought it into the station and we reunited them. She was... appreciative."

"How appreciative?" She said, narrowing her eyes jealously.

He quirked his lips at her, massively enjoying her jealousy for a moment, before clarifying.

"She grabbed the dog and then grabbed me and cried against us both for twenty minutes. It was... stressful." He finished, and she smiled at the thought of Alex helplessly patting some young crying woman and her little dog.

Her smile faded as she remembered their resulting conversation.

"Why did you let me think...?" She trailed off, letting the question sit between them.

"I don't know." He said, lying. She knew he was lying and turned to stare out of the window haughtily.

"I was hurt." He said suddenly, with a burst of honesty. "And I was mad. And I liked seeing you jealous." Something in his tone changed as he spoke, and his hand found her knee again, sliding just an inch higher than last time.

He leaned in, his face suddenly much closer when he spoke again.

"Maybe I just liked watching you squirm." He said, as his hand suddenly skimmed several inches up her skirt, watching as she literally squirmed under his touch. She readjusted the navy fabric, spreading it back out over his hand, but not discouraging him as his fingers slid higher, skimming the fabric of her panties. He had never been with a woman who wore quite as many full, knee-length skirts as Norma Bates, but he was really seeing the appeal as the fabric covered his hand completely as her thighs unconsciously shifted open to him. Her eyes fluttered shut as his fingers slipped inside her underwear, his fingers skimming against her core, finding her already wet and she didn't need to open her eyes to know he was smirking at her proudly.

"I don't feel well." She announced suddenly, her volume making him jump. His hand withdrew automatically and he stared at her as she abruptly turned her head to look at him. Her expression was unreadable to him as she smoothed her skirt down, standing to half-rise in her seat. She stepped across him, as if she was going to slip out into the aisle, her expression still incredibly neutral as she spread her skirt across his lap as she passed him. Her fingers slid under the fabric, trailing across him through his jeans, and his head dropped back as she lingered for a few moments more than was necessary. Her weight settled across his knees and she grasped him teasingly, still covered by the navy fabric and he was once again thankful for his wife's love of full skirts.

"Ah.. Norma?" He choked out, looking around guiltily at the other passengers, most of whom were nodding off, or engrossed in the in-flight movie. Those who glanced over saw nothing other than a woman stepping across a man to get to the bathroom.

Norma heaved suddenly, giving a dramatic little retch that finally drew the gaze of a few of their fellow passengers.

She half smiled at him as she covered her mouth with the back of her hand.

"I don't feel well." She announced, much louder than necessary, before sliding off his lap and almost sprinting to the bathroom.

Alex stared off after her for an embarrassingly long time. Was she really ill or were his fantasies all coming true? He barely hoped that it could be the latter, and the longer he thought about it, about how fragile Norma was, about how nervous she was about flying, the more he decided it was the former and began to feel a little guilty about enjoying her touch so much. Maybe she really was sick, the heat and the stress finally getting to her and he was just ignoring her? A tiny voice in his mind tried to convince him otherwise, and, propelled by both directions his thoughts were taking, he found himself rising from his seat, crossing his hands in front of himself to disguise his raging semi from any curious passengers.

He knocked lightly on the door, listening for any sounds of distress from inside.

"You ok?" He said his voice seeming overly loud in the relative quiet of the plane. Hardly anyone looked up at him, most engrossed in reading or watching the movie, but a couple of people looked up, regarding him curiously, before the door opened and he was being pulled in before he could protest.

"Oh my god! I thought you weren't coming!" She whispered, before pulling him in for a passionate kiss, her tongue pressing against his insistently. He hesitated for approximately an eighth of a second, before kissing her back, sliding the door shut behind him, winding his arms around her. He tasted like whiskey but the taste no longer incited the fear that it once did.

He pulled back for a moment, and she could tell from the look on his face that he was about to protest, perhaps try and tell her that this was madness, that they were going to get caught, or that they should slow down.

"I thought I was going to have to start without you." She whispered seductively, and smirked as her words had the intended effect. Suppressing a groan at her words, he kissed her ferociously, pressing her back against the counter, letting her nip at her lip as they fought for control.

There was hardly any room but they didn't care, pressing their bodies against each other, almost occupying the same space as his hands tangled in her hair, her hands reaching to pull at his belt buckle. He didn't stop her this time, too carried away with their spontaneity, and he let her unzip him, allowing her hands free him from his jeans, just as he pulled at her skirt, sliding his hands under the fabric. Her underwear was somehow shimmied off in the small space and before he could really stop to think, his hands had slid under her thighs, perching her on the small sink and bunching her skirt up around her waist.

They were too old for this, too sensible. At least that was what he tried to tell himself, but as she clutched desperately at his shirt, mewling as he dug his fingers into her thighs, he lost all ability to form reasonable thoughts. They weren't teenagers anymore, but he couldn't get enough of her. She was addictive, and she seemed to feel the same way, letting out exquisite little moans in his ear as she rubbed herself against him, urging him on.

Without any further preamble, he slammed into her, her head hitting the mirror behind her, his face pressing against her shoulder. She let out a shrill, surprised squeak and for a second, a flicker of guilt ran through him. In all the excitement, he had forgotten how fragile she was, how delicate he had promised to be with her after learning of her past, but as he went to pull back, her hands clutched at his shirt, her legs splaying out against the tiny bathroom walls.

He pushed into her, more gently now, and she moaned again, this time almost sounding annoyed.

"I'm not made of glass." She murmured against his ear, as she pressed her feet more firmly against each wall of the tiny room, using the leverage to push herself against him. He obliged her unspoken request and grasped at her butt, thrusting himself into her more forcefully this time. She gasped, a soft, deeply sensual sound and he continued, setting up a frenzied pace, slamming himself into her harder than he would have dared.

When she had revealed her past, he had still loved her, still wanted her, but he had resigned himself to a life of gentle, delicate lovemaking. He was ok with that - Ok with a life of tenderly worshipping this broken, infinitely shatterable woman for the rest of his life, but, as he pounded into her, his mouth swallowing her ecstatic cries, he realised she was much more than he thought she was. Her fingers dug into the back of his neck as she clung frantically to him, her orgasm building fast under the intensity of the situation.

An unconsciously loud strangled moan escaped her, and his hand came up to clamp across her mouth for a moment, before he remembered that she wouldn't like that, instead pressing his hand to the back of her neck. He pushed her face hard against his shoulder, trying to muffle her involuntary cries. Her thighs shuddered under his fingers and he flinched as she bit hard on his shoulder, screaming against his shirt as she came. The feeling of her tightening around him, coupled with her terrible attempts to cover her own orgasm had him following her moments later, thrusting her erratically against the mirror a few times. He groaned, smiling when she mimicked his earlier actions, pressing her hand across his mouth. Something about the desperate way she was trying to shush him made him realise she had no idea how loud she'd been and he grinned, relishing the feel of her bitemark under the shoulder of his shirt. She was precious.

They gazed at each other for a moment, her foot sliding lazily off the wall to press gently against his back when a sudden knock on the door made them both jump. They shared a mortified glance before he pulled away harshly, making her wince as she smoothed her skirt down, pulling her shirt back into place as he zipped up his jeans, both making themselves as presentable as they could.

He pulled her off the sink roughly and was bending her over before she could figure out what he was doing. She flicked her head over her shoulder incredulously, noting where his hand was pressing her down, her face mere inches away from the aluminium rim of the toilet. He positioned himself behind her and for a second, she wondered how this could possibly be better, before the flicked the lock switch to off and whispered "Follow my lead" to her before she could protest.

The door flew open and Norma's eyes flew shut, not wanting to register how the situation looked to an outsider. She felt his hands smooth her hair back from her face, gently grabbing a handful of it and she kept her eyes shut, half just wishing the plane would crash.

"Is there a problem?" Alex said coolly.

There was a pause, and, over the hum of the aircraft, Norma heard the flight attendant make a soft, confused noise.

"My wife gets travel sick." He offered, his tone a little softer. Norma glanced to the side at the air hostess, wiping her mouth on the back of her hand in what she hoped was a convincing manner. Natalie was hovering apologetically over the shoulder of the other woman, who was staring at them severely. It was clear that neither of them believed them, but they'd put on a convincing enough show and both of them stalked off, Natalie shooting Norma a little wink before they walked up the aisles without another word.

They both breathed sigh of relief as she straightened up, her legs still shaking under her.

"Feel better, honey?" He said loudly, earning himself a jab in the ribs.

Norma flicked her hair haughtily and stalked back to her seat without another word, keeping her eyes studiously focused on the ground the whole way. He gave her a moment, readjusting himself before striding out into the aisle. Several male passengers sent him silent nods of approval, or sly little smirks, and Alex had to fight not to react to them, knowing Norma would hate it if she knew people knew.

When he got back to their seat, Norma was slunk down in her seat, her hand across her eyes.

He just stared at her, a wicked smile playing on his lips, as she kept her hand pressed to her face, covering her eyes.

"Stop it." She hissed at him. There was a pause, where he shrugged helplessly. "I can hear you smirking at me."

"I'm not doing anything!" He protested, not able to keep the smile off his face when she finally dropped her hand, glaring at him.

She tutted, huffing out an exasperated sigh that made him want to laugh even more.

"Hey, it was your idea..." He ventured.

"You started it!" She snapped back, and he couldn't help but laugh at how easily she had risen to the bait.

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

She opened her mouth to speak before looking past him, noticing Natalie coming towards them. She rearranged her scowl into a warm smile, as Natalie paused next to them, looking around her shiftily, before shooting them a loaded glance.

Before either of them could ask what she was doing, she subtly slid something into Alex's hand. Dumbfounded, they both stared at the little scrap of white lace in his hand for a split second before she realised she was looking at her underwear that Natalie must have found on the bathroom floor. Norma died of embarrassment for a moment, before she snatched them out of his hand, folding her arms and sinking down low into her seat, feeling her cheeks redden.

"Thanks." She heard Alex murmur next to her, his voice thick with laughter. Natalie's heels clicked away without another word and Norma wasn't sure if she hated or loved the girl in that moment.

She wanted to die. She wanted the plane to crash. She wanted Alex to stop shaking with silent laughter in the seat next to her.

"Stop!" She whined, which made him laugh even more. "Alex, I'm serious!"

She glanced at him to find him hunched over in his seat, his shoulders shaking, his hands covering his face.

"I'm sorry... I'm sorry." He breathed out, between helpless giggles that she'd never seen before.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out the last little bottle of tequila, holding it out uncertainly like a peace offering. She snatched it out of his hand, sighing when he started to giggle again, irritated when she felt herself starting to smile aswell. It was infectious.

His laughter eventually died down, and he was silent for a moment, before opening his mouth to speak again.

"You know," he started seriously, in a tone that made her think he was changing the subject. "Now I know you're an exhibitionist, I've always wanted to do it in the squad car..." He finished, tapping his chin thoughtfully, flinching as she playfully smacked his arm.

"Yeah. There's literally no chance." She confirmed haughtily, as he pouted at her.

She rolled her eyes, pretending to still be annoyed, before downing the contents of the bottle in one horrible swig.

She loved this man. This ridiculous, confusing man who made her act like a teenager. He wiped his eyes, his laughter subsiding, and they shared a long glance before she leaned her head against his chest, sighing happily when he pressed a kiss against her forehead. As they headed back to normality, she wondered if things would be the same once they were back home. She couldn't think of a reason why not.


	20. Chapter 20

"Home sweet home!" Alex said, much too brightly, the words not quite suiting him as he stepped back to let Norma into the house first. He had insisted on carrying both their bags, but he almost wished he hadn't, longing for the comforting touch of her hand as they walked back into her home, feeling like it had been a lifetime since they left.

He glanced at her, reading her face as she gazed around the house, obviously feeling the exact same thing.

"It feels like we've been away for weeks." She observed mildly, bending to scoop up the small pile of mail that had accumulated on the mat, flicking through it casually, seeing nothing of particular interest.

"Anything for me?" He asked casually, placing their bags neatly at the bottom of the stairs.

"What?" She murmured, distracted as she opened a bill, frowning as she read through it. "No. You don't live here." She said, only half paying attention to herself, freezing as she realised what she'd said, glancing over her shoulder suddenly, taking in his hurt expression.

"I mean- No, of course you live here! I meant... You didn't LIVE live here... before." She tried to explain, her voice stuttering, dropping the letters on the side and crossing over to him. She wrapped her arms round his neck, his hands resting lightly on her waist. "But you live here now." She said seriously, giving him a pointed look. "You LIVE live here."

He nodded thoughtfully, secretly enjoying her discomfort, pretending to be confused by her ineloquent wording.

"So I didn't LIVE live here before?" He asked, his tone mocking.

She shook her head, before frowning at the floor for a second, confused.

"I don't-" She started, losing the thread of their ridiculous, awkward conversation, cut off as he laughed, swooping forward to kiss her. It was tentative for all of three seconds before she opened her mouth to him, their tongues sliding against each other, his hands pulling her hard against him.

With a gasp, he suddenly pulled her off her feet, his hands clasping at her ass, her legs wrapping naturally around his waist. He spun them round and shoved her up against the wall at the bottom of the stairs.

"Oh." She said, her tone surprised, pulling her mouth away from his as he pressed her against the wall.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Is this- Do you not-" He floundered, pulling back to look at her in confusion.

"No, no!" She started hurriedly, pecking him lightly, her tone absurdly casual for their intimate position. "I just actually have alot to do tonight." Privately, she also suspected that if they did it again right now, she might not be able to walk for a while, but she didn't want to worry him. She really did have alot to do before tomorrow aswell - There was a house full of chores that had gone unheeded for a whole weekend, as well as two bags full of laundry to do and a motel that needed checking over and setting up for tomorrow.

"Oh. Ok." He said, his disappointment evident.

"You wanna help me?" She asked nervously, their conversation carrying on like her legs weren't wrapped around him. The only man who'd ever wanted to help with the chores was Norman and she corrected herself before he could answer. "Of course you don't." She muttered quietly, like she was being silly. "Why don't you go and-"

He cut her off with a surprise kiss and a sad look. He hated that she had this idea in her head of a 1950s husband-and-wife dynamic, with her doing everything around the house, and him apparently sitting on the couch, getting fat off her cooking.

"I'd love to help." He said seriously, and her face lit up.

"Really?"

He nodded.

"But you're going to have to teach me your ways, Norma Bates. You're gonna have to show me how you like things to be folded-"

She beamed at him, kissing him before he could utter another word. He had spoken the words she'd been waiting her whole life to hear.

It was the small hours of the morning till they were done, and Alex privately thought alot of their tasks could have waited till tomorrow, but he'd daren't tell Norma that, realising she probably wouldn't have been able to sleep unless everything was done.

She took his hand, yawning sweetly as she led him up the stairs, not noticing his slight hesitancy when they reached the last few steps.

"So, where should I put my stuff?" He asked pointedly. She didn't pick up on his tone, turning and frowning at him, rubbing her eye sleepily.

"Wherever...?" She said, shrugging at him.

"Ok." He said slowly, his eyes darting from her bedroom door to the steps leading up to the room where he'd been sleeping. "I mean, should I put my stuff in your room or...?"

"Oh... OH!" Her eyes widened as she took in his nervous expression. He hadn't wanted to assume that she was going to be comfortable with him taking over her space, placing his belongings in her room and his body in her bed.

"I just don't wanna rush things- Rush you, I mean..." He rubbed his hand against his neck awkwardly, his words tumbling out stupidly. He glanced up to see her smiling at him kindly.

"We got married before we'd kissed." She reminded him. "We're the king and queen of rushing things." He laughed lightly, but her gentle joking didn't really answer his question. He tugged her hand, pulling her to him, his hands coming up to cup the sides of her face, and the smile dropped off her face as she took a deep breath. They gazed at each other seriously for a moment, the atmosphere buzzing with unspoken tension, a tentative, sweet sort of awkwardness washing over them.

"I don't want you to feel like I'm rushing you." His words were clearer now, his thoughts untangling as he watched her eyes widen at his words, gazing into their azure depths, wishing he could tell what she was thinking. He took a deep breath, taking another moment to organise his thoughts. "I know that everything happened really fast. I don't want you to think that I'm just going to assume that you want me to move into your room like we're-"

"Our room." She cut him off. "Our room." She repeated, biting her lip shyly as he smiled at her. "It's our room if you want it to be."

He nodded, his grin widening, his hands drifting down her back, coming to rest against her tailbone. Her own hands mimicked his, sliding down his chest, coming to rest lightly on his stomach and they took a slow breath together, breathing out a nervous laugh suddenly.

"I just wanna sleep tonight though..." She clarified, surprised when he puffed out a relieved laugh.

"Oh thank god. I'm exhausted." He grinned at her, before she took his hand, leading them to their room, to spend their first proper night in their home as man and wife.


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Possible trigger warning.

For a week, married life seemed almost too perfect. They settled into a natural, familiar routine, their separate lives intertwining just enough, crashing into each other every night like they'd been separate for weeks. Alex was everything she'd ever wanted in a husband, and for once, Norma Bates was happy. He was kind and attentive and affectionate, and Norma was working hard to let down her walls. That tiny tremor of her past still lingered though, even if only ever so slightly, and she couldn't stop the flicker of guilt that passed through her whenever he appeared out of nowhere and she flinched. It was learnt behaviour, but one that was starting to dissipate as she grew more comfortable with him. Still, Norma found herself watching Alex sometimes when he wasn't looking, narrowing her eyes at him over her coffee cup, watching while he read the paper, looking for any sign of what was going to go wrong. And then she caught herself, and chastised herself, because she was happy, and they were happy and Alex was perfect.

It was almost a relief to find that he wasn't.

Something was going on at work, that much was obvious, but Alex didn't say what, and Norma knew not to ask. In truth, she wasn't sure she wanted to know. Whatever it was was enough to make Alex stare at the wall, his jaw tight, his eyes haunted when he thought she wasn't looking and she had enough on her plate without taking on someone else's suffering.

Doctor Edwards had called several days ago to tell Norma that Norman was making fantastic progress and she could visit in the next few days, if she wanted to. She hadn't told Alex yet because he seemed to have enough on his mind at the moment, though she resolved to tell him before she went.

He was hastily scribbling notes one night after dinner while she washed the dishes, shooting him uncertain glances, taking in his furrowed brows and heavy shoulders as he poured over police reports. She dried her hands on her apron, padding over to him gently and wrapping her arms around him from behind, leaning down to rest her cheek on the top of his head. He puffed out a gentle sigh, his hand clutching at her arm across his chest, his whole body sagging.

"You ok?" She asked softly and he shook his head after a long pause.

"There's a girl. She's gone missing." He spoke quietly, his tone low and mournful.

"From round here?" She whispered into his hair, wondering why she hadn't heard about it.

"No. One town over. Beacon Hills. They called us in. They don't have much experience with this sort of thing. They thought we could help." His bitter tone told her that they hadn't been able to help.

"How long?"

"Three days." He said immediately. "After twenty four hours..." His voice trailed off. She knew the end of that sentence. She watched the news.

Her arms tightened around him, desperately wanting to comfort him but not knowing how.

"I'm sorry." She murmured, pressing a kiss to the top of his head.

"Me too."

Her hands drifted lower, uncrossing themselves from where they had been wrapped around his shoulders, sliding a little lower down his chest.

"Come to bed." She whispered seductively in his ear, letting her lips graze the shell of his ear as she spoke. He tensed, his hands grasping hers lightly, stopping their tentative path down his chest.

"I... I have alot of work to do. I'll be up in a bit."

Her arms withdrew immediately, and she tried not to take it personally, tried not to let herself feel hurt by his not wanting to take her to bed. They had had one blissful, perfect week, before he took on this upsetting case and withdrew into himself. A tiny dark voice was trying to tell her that he had already grown bored of her, that he was pulling away, but she didn't listen to that voice anymore. The rational part of her knew that it was just because he was exhausted and disheartened by the case, but she had also selfishly wanted his comfort tonight, wanted to feel his calming effect on her, before she set out for her difficult day tomorrow. She couldn't tell him now though and the words stuck in her throat.

"Ok." She started brightly, taking her apron off and hanging it by the oven. "Just try not to wake me when you come up. I'm... I have alot of errands tomorrow so I'll be getting up early. Goodnight." She leaned down to lightly peck him on the lips before she flounced up the stairs, lying awake into the early hours before she heard his footfall on the stairs, pressing her eyes closed and pretending to be asleep.

She was up and out the next day before he had even stirred, no mean feat when she shared a bed with the earliest riser she'd ever known. She dressed quickly and quietly, glancing at Alex's peaceful face the whole time, wishing he would wake up and she could tell him where she was going and selfishly have him forget his own sadness and wish her luck. He didn't wake though, so she silently swept down the stairs, making a fresh pot of coffee for him and heading out towards Pineview.

Hours later, and Norma was making dinner, or at least trying to. She had thrown one pot of marinara sauce out already, stirring it absently with the heat turned up high, not noticing as it burnt and stuck to the pan under her lacklustre care.

She started on another, staring vacantly into the vat of crimson, trying not to think about her visit with her youngest son. It hadn't been anywhere near as bad as she thought, but she still felt unsettled, like the rug had been pulled out from under her, just as she was getting settled on it.

"Doctor Edwards says I might be able to come home soon."

"Oh honey, that's wonderful!" She had cooed, because she thought he was lying and it was best to humour him. However, a quick chat with Doctor Edwards on the way out had confirmed that he was indeed making great progress, and that Doctor Edwards thought that they were looking at weeks rather than months before Norman could come home. The thought sent a bittersweet fear into Norma's heart.

She was so lost in her own thoughts that she didn't hear Alex come in and she jumped as she felt his hands on her. He grasped her hips lightly for a second, before he stepped forward, one hand wrapping around her waist, the other sliding to the front of her hip, yanking her back against his body. Their embrace felt different somehow, there was a hunger in his movements that she hadn't felt from him in the last few days, not since...

"We found her." He said simply, against her ear and she span round in his arms immediately, catching his beaming smile and returning it with one of her own, briefly forgetting her own troubles.

"Oh Alex. That's great. Is she ok?" He nodded tightly in reply, his hands already snaking down her back, resting on her ass, pulling her against him, making it clear he didn't plan on going into the details of the case right now. She froze, sensing his intention, the events of the day flooding back to her, filling her with thoughts of her son and a growing ache of anxiety.

"Alex, I-" She started, cut off as he kissed her, no pretence of tenderness, his desperation and longing evident in the intensity. She kissed him back, somewhat reluctantly at first, her arms coming up to naturally wrap around his neck, and he slid them a few inches to the side to avoid the heat of the hob, pressing her back against the counter, grinding himself against her.

Despite being distracted by her day, she felt her body respond, arching her back as his hands pressed against her lower back, pulling her hard against him.

"I missed you." He ground out against her neck, his teeth nipping and dragging across her flesh, and her head dropped back, letting him get better access. They had seen each other less than a day ago, but she knew what he meant. Since taking on this case, he'd been distracted, distant, and had barely touched her, and though it had only been a few days, it felt like a lifetime of a break in their honeymooners schedule of love-making.

His hands were back at her waist, untucking her shirt from her skirt, sliding his hands across the smooth flesh of her back underneath and she tensed up a little, rearing her head back as she realised his intention.

"Not here." She said, a slight question in her tone, as his hands slunk lower, his mouth never leaving her throat as he starting to inch up the voluminous fabric of her skirt.

He growled, grasping her hips tightly through his handfuls of paisley cotton, jerking her towards him as he took a step back away from the counter.

"Yes. Here." He demanded, pulling her with him as he took another step back. She complied, half annoyed at his sudden demanding nature, half incredibly turned on as her hands swept up and down his biceps, mewling at the feel of his hands digging in even tighter around her hips. She forgot about her horrible day, and about her worries about her son, breathing hard as she let herself be pulled forwards, pretending to be annoyed but secretly loving relinquishing control to him.

"Alex-" She started, about to playfully tell him off, pretend that she wasn't incredibly aroused by this new little game they were playing, when he cut her off by spinning them both around suddenly, and then spinning her again so she had her back to him, all in one smooth movement. She gasped as he gathered her skirt up in one hand, the other hand sliding up to roughly palm her breast through her shirt, his breath hot and heavy in her ear. She felt herself melt again, her body softening, allowing herself to be pulled back against him, wantonly rubbing her ass against the undeniable bulge in his pants.

"I need you." He panted out, sounding desperate and broken and frantic and she shivered at his words, preparing to turn round again in his arms when she was suddenly bent over, his hand pressing hard against the centre of her back, pushing her down against the kitchen table. Her mood changed the second her cheek made contact with the cold formica surface, her arousal leaving her as if it had never been there, her body frozen with fear and revulsion. In a split second, it wasn't Alex behind her, but Keith Summers. It was no longer her loving husband who was rubbing himself against her ass, running his hands up and down her back gently, it was Keith Summers, the air filled with violence and cheap whiskey.

Her breaths came fast and shallow, and she squeezed her eyes shut, trying to remember how she had felt only moments before. She had wanted this. She'd wanted him to touch her. Why couldn't she shake this panic, this fear, this terror that took over her whole body, making her feel like she was dying, like she was thirteen and lost and vulnerable all over again?

She was furious with herself. This was over. This was done with. She wasn't supposed to feel like this anymore. Alex had made it all go away. And that's what she told herself, trying not to tremble as he slid her panties down her legs, his hands still firmly stroking up and down her back, gently holding her down, his movements still desperate and frantic, but never rough or harsh.

It wasn't as simple as that though. It didn't just go away, especially not in the spot where her new life had been so callously ripped away from her by Keith Summers. Her fingers flexed helplessly against the frigid plastic, the rest of her body still, apart from the trembling that she was trying desperately to stop.

You're fine. He needs you right now. Stop being selfish. Stop being crazy.

She turned her face, pressing her forehead against the table, trying to hide the tears that were threatening to fall, just as she felt him lean over her, his chest brushing against her back for a second, his movements slowing from their furious pace.

His hands slid to cover hers as he leaned down, pressing a kiss against her shoulder blade through her shirt.

"I love you." He whispered, and she let out a little tearful gasp, muffled against the fornica. He pulled back, and she heard the clink of a belt being undone and she took a deep breath, having a sudden moment of clarity. Once he realised she state she was in, he would never forgive himself. If she didn't feel like she owed it to herself, she at least owed it to him to be honest.

"Stop." She whispered, hearing his movements cease behind her. The sudden silence in the room was deafening and her breaths seemed absurdly loud, panting out too fast and shallow against the table, her fingers flexing shakily.

"I think I'm having a panic attack." She blurted out honestly, glancing over her shoulder to see him staring down at her in horror as she crumbled, her legs sliding out from under her, her body sinking to the floor as she burst into tears. Her tears turned to ragged sobs in the matter of seconds, her lungs heaving to pull in enough oxygen, her body shaking from the effort of not just shutting down.

Her eyes were clamped shut, her hands pressed over them, so she felt, rather than saw, him sink to his knees next to her, knowing his hands would be shakily reaching for her, assuming he would snatch them back, not wanting to touch her. So she was surprised when she felt his hands confidently wrap around her shoulders, pulling her against him. She didn't resist when he slid her trembling body across his legs, pulling her onto his lap, wrapping his arms around her tightly.

"It's ok. It's ok." He whispered over and over again, and after a few minutes, she started to believe it, feeling her body finally begin to unfurl from the tight ball she had been rolled into, relaxing into his touch. One hand was gently stroking her hair, the other tenderly rubbing up and down her arm, his face pressed against the top of her head, and she gradually became aware that he had been whispering to her this whole time. She had barely registered before, the only sound she could hear being the rapid fluttering of her heartbeat in her ears.

"I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. It's ok. You're safe. I'm sorry." He was muttering a string of neverending reassurances, his own voice sounding broken as he held her, his own hands trembling now.

"I'm sorry." She choked out, feeling a wave of embarrassment, feeling his hands cease their soothing movements.

"Don't be. Just... don't." He sounded so broken that she pressed her face into his chest, just wishing she'd kept her damn mouth shut. Why couldn't she just be normal? Why did she have to do this?

"I'm sorry." He repeated, his hand coming to cup her cheek. She sighed, shaking her head.

"It wasn't you. It wasn't your fault. I'm just-"

He cut her off by grasping her cheek lightly, pulling her back to look at her, his eyes slightly shiny.

"Don't." He said, ever so gently. "I know it's not my fault. But it's not yours either. Please don't apologise." He said definitively, and her face crumpled again, her bottom lip shaking. He was right. And she knew it, but for some reason, she had needed to hear it from him to really believe it. She still felt she needed to clarify, to offer some explanation, though he demanded none.

"It was just..." He tried to shush her again and she huffed. "-Let me speak! I don't feel afraid of you. Not ever."

"-I know." He cut her off, obviously upset that she felt like she needed to explain herself.

"Shush! It's just..." She gestured up at the table, that horrible fornica kitchen table, letting her eyes wander to the metal corners, still able to imagine the feel of those handcuffs holding her in place... "Keith Summers." She said eventually and his jaw tightened, his whole body stiffening as he followed her gaze, glancing over at the kitchen table and then pressing his eyes together for a long time.

There was a long silence, where she just gazed up at him uncertainly like a lost child, before his eyes fluttered open and he nodded tightly at her.

"I'm going to take you to bed." He said, with no undertone or hidden implication, just a statement that he was about to move, so as not to startle her. She appreciated the gesture, as he slid one arm under her knees, scooping her up like she weighed nothing, struggling to his feet with her smoothly in his arms.

He laid her down in bed, and then retreated and for one horrible moment, she thought he was going to leave, before he moved to the bottom of the bed, unlacing her little high heeled brogues and slipping them off her feet one by one. He left the rest of her clothes on though, as he did with his own, before slipping into the bed with her, pulling to covers up over her and then laying very still, not touching her at all.

He was waiting for her to move first, letting her set the amount of contact and she was grateful, rolling over and pressing her face into his chest, wrapping her arm around him.

"Thank you." She whispered, clutching his shirt, feeling his arms come up to gently wrap around her.

"It's ok." He said, and she spent a moment searching his words for any sense of irritation or impatience, finding none.

"I know it's hard to understand-" She started.

"Everything about you is hard to understand." He clarified, and she could hear the playful smile in his voice. "It doesn't make me love you any less."

She opened her mouth to speak again, but there was nothing else to say, so she just listened to his steady heartbeat until she fell asleep, wondering if she would ever have another panic attack again.

She didn't.

The next day, she came home from running errands to find that horrible table gone, never to be seen again. In it's place was a beautiful antique art deco style table, with ornate, straight metalwork legs, and a smooth polished wooden surface.

She ran her hand over it, hearing Alex enter the room behind her.

"Well?" He asked, sounding uncertain, like he was worried he'd crossed a line by changing something without asking, and Norma didn't even have the heart to pretend not to love it. Any other day, she would have teased him, pretended to hate it, but not today.

"You did good." She breathed out, turning to face him and pulling him in for a grateful hug.

"Thank you." She said gently, feeling him nod against her shoulder, before she pulled back, running her hand over the table again.

"I still don't wanna have sex on it though." She said innocently, and he chuckled, watching as she gazed at the table happily, before grabbing her paperwork and heading towards the other room.

"That's fine. Plenty of other surfaces in this house, Mrs Romero." He called out after her, as she sashayed away from him, casting him an unimpressed glance from over her shoulder before disappearing.

"Keep calling me that!" Her voice was playful as she called out her warning from the other room. "We'll see how far you get."


	22. Chapter 22

Norma and Alex spent the next few weeks discovering everything about each other. They learnt that no - the coffee table would not take their weight, and that despite Alex's occasional salacious invitations, Norma was still pretending she didn't want to have sex in the squad car. They spent most of their time together, calling each other frequently when they had to be apart, and every night, she smiled when she heard his sprinting steps up the stairs to her house, or saw his Sheriff's SUV swing almost dangerously fast into the motel parking lot. They told each other their secrets, and he was finally allowed to worship every curve and plane of her body and she finally learned to let him. Norma couldn't remember the last time she had felt this dependent on someone, and the feeling would usually terrify her, if she hadn't been entirely sure that Alex felt the same way. He seemed to devote most of his time to making her happy, and it made her want to do the same.

There were still arguments, of course. Every couple of days or so, something would irritate Norma just so and she would blow up. Alex soon realised this was nothing new, and nothing to do with him usually, and he quickly learned how to deal with it in a variety of ways, some more effective than others.

"And then he just cut me off! Can you believe it?!" Norma said indignantly over dinner one day, her fork-ful of food forgotten as she gestured wildly with it.

"Would you like me to arrest him for you?" Alex had said, smiling at her, mostly joking, immediately knowing it was the wrong thing to say.

She narrowed her eyes at him, clattering her fork down on her plate.

"I'm glad this is so funny to you! I nearly died! I could have been run off the road, and you'd have to come and identify me in the morgue, and then how would you feel?" Norma had always had a flair for the dramatics, but her words struck him and he swallowed a lump in his throat as the image of her in the morgue flashed through his mind.

Her gaze softened a little as she watched sadness flitter behind his eyes. She finally ate the mouthful of food on her fork, grimacing when she realised it had gone cold during her rant over a road rage incident.

"Did you get his license number-?" Alex started, sighing when she immediately reached into her cardigan pocket to pull out a scrap of paper.

"I thought you'd never ask!" She said incredulously, as if shocked that he hadn't asked her for it half an hour ago.

"I'll look into it." He finally conceded, glancing down at the hastily jotted number, rewarded with a suddenly happy smile from his ever-changing wife.

Sometimes, Norma's moods were simple, and sometimes they weren't.

Days later, Alex had tried to do something nice, and it had led to one of their biggest arguments yet.

"Ta-da!" He said, removing his hands from her eyes with a flourish. She glanced around her basement, her smile faltering, then dropping completely.

"What did you do?" She muttered quietly, taking a shaky step forward.

"I cleaned out the basement!" He announced happily, not picking up on her mood at all. He stood with his hands on his hips, surveying his handiwork with approval.

It had taken several weeks of waking up in the middle of the night to silently move furniture around, or waiting for her to be busy with the motel to sneak out loadfuls of junk. But he had finally done it. And it was beautiful. The windows were cleaned, allowing a surprising amount of light into the large space, that seemed even larger now all the crap was gone. He'd dismantled the rickety old shelves that had held up peculiar implements and bags of feathers and fur, and set up a shiny new table in the corner, with her sewing machine neatly in the centre. Next to it was a small, old fashioned radio, that was actually a state of the art stereo, which was cleverly disguised as vintage to fit in with Norma's old-timey aesthetic.

"What did you do?" She repeated, a little louder this time, staring around the basement in dismay.

He didn't answer this time, starting to pick up on her displeasure, and deciding saying nothing was best until he figured her out.

"What gives you the right?-" She whirled round, her piercing blue eyes narrowed dangerously at him. "Where is Norman's stuff?!" She yelled at him.

"It's... it's still here. Well, the instruments that weren't rusted or... bloody." He grimaced as he said the last word, not wanting to mention the state he had found some of the utensils in. It was clear that Norman had been in the middle of several projects when he had gone to Pineview, and that ancient old freezer just hadn't been able to keep up with the demands of preserving his projects in his absence.

He gestured lamely to a large wooden crate in the opposite corner, watching as she flew over to it, throwing it open and sighing in relief when she saw Norman's things there.

"I thought we could set him up a new workspace when he gets back. Until then, I thought I'd just put them out of the way."

She cut him off, whirling round to face him again, her eyes wide with fury.

"Oh, did you? Well, how very convenient! Let's just erase every trace of my son in this house to make more room for you!" She started stomping up the stairs, and he followed her at a surprising speed, catching up with her after only a few steps. His hand wrapped around her arm, pulling her back, holding her in place when she tried to wriggle out of his grasp.

"More room for me?" He repeated back to her incredulously, his voice low and dangerous. "How have I made more room for me, Norma?" He asked, lifting his eyebrows expectantly, his fingers digging in almost painfully to her upper arms. She just stared at him defiantly, breathing hard.

"I don't have much use for a sewing room." He stated, and she would have laughed if the whole situation hadn't been so intense. He pushed her back against the wall, his hands never loosening their punishing grip on the tops of her arms, and she was immediately annoyed at herself for darting her eyes to his lips over and over again.

"I was trying to do something nice. Something for you." He was speaking so quietly, so calmly, that she couldn't help but feel some of the tension leave her body. Glancing back down the stairs, taking in the bright room, and the cute little sewing set up he'd created, she felt herself relent, and she felt the pressure on her arms ease up a little.

"I'm not trying to erase Norman. You know that." He said, almost in a whisper, as his eyes started unconsciously drifting to her lips, his face leaning an inch closer as he spoke.

The mention of Norman's name had the opposite effect than he wanted, and she tensed up again, as if preparing to flee. In truth, she knew what he was saying was completely true, but she wasn't ready to admit it. She wasn't ready to admit that there was someone in her life who would just do nice things for her, with no ulterior motive and no agenda, other than making her happy. So she had to ruin it. She had to project her own insecurities about Norman being away onto him. Because, the truth was, she'd been happier since he'd been gone. And that wasn't something she was ready to face. So she lashed out.

"You're a liar!" She spat the words out suddenly, her voice harsh to cover the tears that were threatening to fall. He recoiled as if she had slapped him, his mouth dropping open. He looked so genuinely shocked and hurt that she could think that of him that she immediately got angrier. She wasn't even angry at him anymore - She realised she was wrong now, but she was furious with herself, for the way she felt about this beautiful little space being hers now instead of Norman's, and so she took it out on Alex.

"Let go of me." She muttered, casting her gaze down to avoid his hurt eyes. He froze for a moment.

"LET GO OF ME!" She screamed suddenly, and she knew he would do it immediately, because he understood her and knew not to touch her when she said to. He dropped his hands in defeat, and she turned and fled up the stairs, hating that he had complied the way that she thought he would. It just confirmed to her that, no matter how angry he was, her feelings came first and she felt sick at what a horrible person she must be.

However, she was barely at the top of the stairs, barely through the doorway when a hand flew out to stop her, pulling her back, and pushing her back against the wall. She gasped, though the act had actually been quite gentle, staring uncertainly into his eyes.

"Stop it." He said calmly, ducking his head to meet her eyes. "Stop whatever it is that you're doing right now."

Her eyes shone, and she licked her lips, furious when a single tear escaped, and rolled down her cheek.

"I just..." She started, her voice breaking. "I just miss him so much!" She sobbed a little and he went to wrap his arms around her, looking confused when she stopped his hands in mid air, pushing then away from her. "But... I also... Don't." She admitted, her bottom lip trembling. Alex nodded slightly.

"And I'm so ashamed. I'm so ashamed that my baby is in that... that place, and I'm here, and I'm happy, and you make me so happy, and all I can think about is that I don't want him to come home because I don't want to share my new sewing room with a bunch of dead animals!" She rambled tearfully, her voice growing shriller as she spoke.

"You're not a bad person for wanting your own life." He assured her quietly, trying to comfort her again, frowning as she pushed his hands away again. She covered her face with her hands, shaking her head.

"Yes, yes I am. What kind of mother feels like this?" She asked, more to herself than to him. He didn't try to reach for her this time, he simply leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss against her forehead.

"You're a good mother, Norma." He assured her, murmuring the words against her forehead. She shook her head again, closing her eyes tightly.

"Nothing you can say is going to make me feel better." She said quietly, sniffling to herself.

"Ok." He whispered, and her eyes fluttered open as he suddenly dropped to his knees in front of her, pressing a kiss against her abdomen through her dress.

"Alex..." She started wearily. She didn't deserve this. She had been horrible to him for no reason. And after he'd done such a nice thing for her aswell.

"Shhhh." He whispered playfully, glancing up at her through his long dark eyelashes, his hands skimming up the backs of her calves.

"Alex..." She murmured, shuffling awkwardly as his hands slid up the backs of her thighs, pulling her skirt up enough to duck his head under and disappear completely.

"Alex. I don't want-"

"Shut up, Norma!" He mumbled, muffled under her skirt. She squirmed, feeling some of the tension leave her body.

"I just don't think-" She started half-heartedly, letting out a little yelp when he bit gently at her thigh, his hand suddenly yanking her panties down roughly.

"I said shut up." He murmured against her thigh, already lapped at the bitemark he had left, his fingers gently rubbing against her.

She shuddered, her knees shaking a little, embarrassed slightly by her reaction, since he'd barely touched her.

"Do you want me to stop?" She heard him mutter, as he licked the inside of her thigh, the heel of his hand pressing hard against her core. She ignored him, letting her head drift back against the wall, shivering as he kissed his way higher.

"Norma?" He mumbled against her flesh. She sighed as she felt his hot breath against her, letting him slide her underwear the rest of the way down her legs. She still didn't answer him, not trusting herself to speak, but stepped out of them when they reached her feet, which she assumed would be enough of a reply for him. It wasn't.

He jumped to his feet suddenly, appearing from under her skirt and pressing her back against the wall in one smooth move that made her gasp.

"Norma!" He barked, drawing her gaze to his eyes, dark with desire. He pressed the flats of his fingertips against her clit, keeping the pressure intense, watching as her eyes fluttered shut of their own accord. "Do you..." He dropped his voice to a whisper, grinding the words out in time with the movements of his fingers, punctuating each word with a soft kiss against her jaw. "want me... to stop?" She pulled in a shaky breath.

"No." She breathed out, and he swept her up into his arms the second she spoke, just as her knees went weak. She kissed him furiously, as he carried her the few feet into the living room, wrenching his lips away to look where he was going, depositing her down roughly on the couch, immediately dropping to his knees in front of her. She leaned forward to kiss him, smiling happily against his mouth, as his hands slid her skirt up her thighs again.

"Thank you for my sewing room." She finally said breathlessly, as he laughed, jerking his head away, snapping her legs apart abruptly, his head ducking back under her skirt.

"You're welcome." He laughed against the inside of her knee, before he licked a little trail up her inner thigh, making her drop back against the couch cushions, sucking in a sharp breath.

Her thighs shuffled even wider, opening up to him as he finally reached his target, his hands hoisting her knees up to rest on his shoulders, his tongue darting out to flick against her teasingly.

"Ahhh." She moaned, her head dropping back, her hands grabbing at his hair recklessly, before there was a small sound from the foyer, making them both freeze. For a split second, there was silence, and then a voice rang out through the house, the sound of a handle being turned seeming absurdly loud, making them both gasp.

"Norma? You home?" Dylan's voice rang out, and Alex emerged, red faced from under her skirt, staring at each other in horror, just as they heard the second door begin to open. Without thinking, she raised a foot to his chest, kicking with all her strength, flinching as he hit the floor with a heavy thud. She just about had time to spread her skirt back over her legs before Dylan was rounding the corner, strolling in through the doorway.

"Hi honey!" She said much too brightly, as Dylan froze, a confused frown on his face as he took in Norma sitting so casually on the sofa, while Alex lay sprawled in an haphazard heap on the floor.

"Erm, hey?" There was a pause, where Alex raised himself up on his knees from behind the coffee table, his expression overly casual as he flashed Dylan a small smile. "What, erm... What are you guys doing?"

"Oh, I dropped an earring. Alex was just helping me find it." She lied easily, as Alex cast an appraising glance around the living room floor, shrugging helplessly at Dylan.

"You're not wearing earrings..." Dylan said, a knowing smile tugging at his lips.

Her hands flew to her ear lobes, as if shocked at his words.

"Oh my- I must had dropped them both." She said incredulously, shooting him a sheepish expression. "How clumsy of me."

Alex scrambled to his feet, embarrassed to have to keep pretending to look for earrings that they all knew weren't there. Dylan pressed his lips together, trying to suppress his awkward smile. He was mortified to know what he had clearly walked in on, but Norma and Alex were suffering more than he was, and it was a rare opportunity he got to see the Sheriff squirm.

"Ok, well-" He shook himself, making a point of changing the subject awkwardly. "Just came by to tell you Emma is out of hospital."

Norma sprung up, sweeping across the room to pull Dylan in for a rare hug.

"Oh honey! That's fantastic news!"

"I think we might move to Portland at some point..." He started casually, not noticing the way Norma's face fell at his words. "But she just wants to be home for now."

Norma nodded gratefully.

"Of course. Do you need anything?" She made a small move towards the kitchen. "Do you want me to make you a casserole?"

Dylan shook his head, smiling at the floor, before glancing up and catching Alex's eye over her shoulder. They shared a brief eye roll.

"No, no. I just wanted to keep you updated."

She smiled at him, reaching up to brush an errant piece of hair away from his forehead, pleased when he didn't flinch away.

"Ok, well. That's all I came to tell you. I'm gonna get back to Emma." He let Norma walk him to the door, smiling up at him happily, pleased at his news.

He glanced over her shoulder, at something on the floor behind her and cast his gaze to the ceiling for a moment, his cheeks colouring, pressing his lips together in an awkward smile. Norma and Alex didn't dare follow his gaze, pretending not to notice, fixing warm smiles on their faces.

"Ok, well I'll let you get back to whatever you were doing." He nodded formally at Alex, who nodded back, his face sheepish, before Norma pulled Dylan in for a hug.

"Let us know if you need anything. Give Emma our love. Let me know when she's up to it and we'll have a nice dinner here..."

"Sure thing, Norma."

Once he was gone, she leaned her forehead against the door for a long moment, her eyes closed.

"My underwear's on the floor isn't it?" She breathed out, without opening her eyes.

"Yep." He said immediately, stifling a laugh.

"Great."


	23. Chapter 23

"Do you want to go on a date with me?" Alex blurted out one morning, over a plate over bacon and eggs.

There was a pause that felt like an lifetime to Alex, which was ridiculous, because he was married to this woman, and was somehow nervous about asking her out on a date.

"What?" She breathed out, finally looking up from her own sparrow-like portion of eggs.

"A date?" He repeated lamely. "With me?" He felt like he was fifteen, asking the prettiest girl in school to prom, his words tumbling out in the wrong order, and he cast his eyes back down to his breakfast, shrugging awkwardly.

"I kinda feel like we missed the "dating" part." He tried to keep his tone casual, avoiding her gaze. "I thought maybe I could take you out?" He chanced a glance up at her, to see her smiling sweetly at him, casting her own gaze down nervously.

"Erm... Yeah. That would be nice." She said nonchalantly, her beaming grin giving her away.

"Ok." A matching grin tugged at Alex's lips as he watched her try to conceal how pleased she was, failing miserably. "Tomorrow night?"

"It's a date."

Alex wore a suit to their date, and Norma wore her prettiest dress, the sleeveless, powder blue one that Norman always said was his favourite. It made her heart hurt to think of Norman alone while she was so happy, but, as Alex pulled her chair out for her, breathlessly telling her how beautiful she looked, Norman was pushed far from her mind.

She wasn't used to this. She knew she was attractive; She was used to men looking at her lustfully, maybe even treating her nicely for a day or a week or a month or until they were done with her, but something was different here. She believed Alex when he told her she was beautiful, she shook her head disbelievingly when he held her door open for her, or held her chair out for her, because a tiny part of her dared to believe that he'd do that for the rest of their lives.

They sat in a slightly awkward silence for a few moments, pretending to pour over the menus while shooting each other stolen glances over the top of their menus.

"So..." Alex started awkwardly, catching her eye finally. "I guess we did this all ass backwards...?" He smiled at her as she breathed out a soft laugh.

"I guess so." She admitted.

"You should have just asked me out when you wanted to." She shot back, smirking at him.

"Oh, right ok then." He laughed at her smug little smile. "And when do you think that was?" He queried, his tone playful.

She thought about his question seriously for a moment, biting her lip as she tried to figure out when things had changed between them. It was hard to put her finger on. She opened her mouth to speak, not sure what she was going to say, when a waiter appeared to take their order, his tone cheery, his eyes dull.

"Hi there. Are you guys ready to order?" He asked robotically.

They shared a few glances, Norma secretly glad to have avoided his question, while they ordered their food. The waiter took their menus when he left, and they both silently panicked at having nothing to hide behind now, having to stare directly at each other.

"I wanted to ask you out the night I met you." He said suddenly, after a few moments of smiling tensely at each other, as if the waiter had never interrupted their conversation.

"Really?" She nearly choked on a sip of wine.

"Yeah. I mean, I couldn't, because I thought you'd killed Keith Summers, and you can't be Sheriff and date a suspect." He supplied, looking down, not noticing her tense up across the table from him.

"I did kill Keith Summers." She added quietly, and he was an idiot so he barely noticed her tone.

"And then you were with Shelby so-"

"He was using me." She interrupted tensely, her tone shrill, and he finally glanced up at her to find her glaring at him, her eyes steely. "I was never WITH Shelby. Not really." She clarified, and he reached across the table, clasping her hand, pleased when she let him.

"I'm sorry." He said genuinely. He always seemed to say the wrong thing. He had been trying to be cute, and he had messed up. "What I meant was, right from the night I met you, I wanted to take you out. And I missed my chance."

"And it took you two years to pluck up the courage?" She teased, some of the tension leaving her body.

"I work slow." He shrugged, grinning at her. There was a long pause, when he slid his hand gently along the tips of her fingers, before intertwining his fingers with hers. "I think I was too in love with you to know when the time was right."

She froze, her finger tips fluttering to a halt against his palm, gasping slightly. He sighed, realising what he had just revealed.

"And just how long have you been in love with me?" She asked quietly, suddenly very interested in examining her napkin.

"I... It was when you cleaned up my face, after I beat up Zane."

She frowned thoughtfully, trying to remember the day he meant.

"I got mad at you for doing my laundry-" He added.

"I like doing laundry." She interrupted and he smiled at her.

"I know." He shook his head at her. "You told me how you beat up some real estate guy with your purse. It made me smile." She nodded in recognition, grinning as she finally remembered the day he meant.

"I'd never seen you smile before that!" She clarified. "You smile all the time now." She added, not making the connection.

"I know." He reached back across to play with her fingers again, and she sucked in a breath through her nose, a small smile playing on her lips as she realised the implication of that.

"I think I fell in love with you in that moment." He whispered, his words soft, in a moment of blunt honesty that made her gasp.

"I mean, you were telling me, a law enforcement officer, that you basically assaulted someone, and all I could do was smile. I must have loved you, or I would have arrested you."

"Are those the only two options?" She joked. "You either love people or you arrest them?"

"Pretty much." He laughed.

"Well, don't I feel special?"

Their food arrived and they were both relieved and a little sad to have a distraction from their incredibly honest chat. They ate in silence for a moment, feeding each other a bite from each other's plate like the kind of couples they both usually hated, before he piped up again.

"When did you fall in love with me?" He blurted out suddenly, between bites of veal parmigiana, glad to have his plate of food to keep his eyes trained on. It wasn't the sort of question he would usually ask, but something about the honesty that was hanging between them tonight, and the glass and a half of wine in his system made him curious.

He panicked as she didn't answer straight away, hearing her huff out a little frustrated breath across from him. The silence from the other side of the table stretched on, and his heart sank, chancing a glance up at her, expecting to find her staring awkwardly at her meal, or looking conflicted. She was staring directly at him though, biting her lip, her expression genuinely thoughtful, her gaze eventually wandering off to the corner of the room.

"I'm not sure." She said eventually, her tone inquisitive. "It happened slowly, and then all at once."

"I liked when you called me to pick you up when you were drunk." She said quietly, and he frowned, confused that that was a memory she would pick up on. "You were vulnerable, and you let me look after you. It meant alot that you trusted me enough to call me."

He bristled at being called vulnerable, until he realised she was entirely correct, as per usual, and he let her words sink in. He hadn't though about it like that before, but, when he considered it, she was right - He hadn't even considered calling anyone else. He knew she would come. And he knew he could trust her. Even back then.

"And when you got my car back for me. Because you didn't want me to be sad." She smiled at the memory, as he did the same, remembering the feel of her lips lingering against his cheek, her gratitude pouring off her in waves.

"No-one's ever done anything that nice for me before. Not without wanting something in return."

He fought the temptation to let the sadness swallow him as he listened to her intently. That was over now.

She took a bite of her food, chewing thoughtfully, casting her eyes down again before she swallowed, speaking again so quietly he almost couldn't hear her.

"And when you kissed me, the morning after our... first night together..." She was obviously uncomfortable now, keeping her eyes trained on her fork, squirming in her seat, and he wondered why she would mention that morning, especially now he knew she hadn't enjoyed that first night they had spent together. His grip on his cutlery tightened as he relived that morning, trying to figure out what act of love she could have gleaned from the time when they were on such different pages.

"You kissed me, and I was overwhelmed and you stopped. You just stopped. You didn't push it, or get mad, or even question it - You just moved away, and ate your breakfast."

He frowned at her from across the table, suddenly feeling a bit ignorant. The way she framed it, it was like he didn't care.

"I think I fell in love you then." She said simply. "It was too much for me, and you didn't interrogate me. You just gave me space without me asking for it."

Her answer made him sad, and happy all at the same time. He hadn't had to think about it at the time - She had looked stressed and overwhelmed and he felt like he was cornering her, so he had backed off, leaving her time to process things. It had been natural, but now she explained her side of it, he felt strangely sad at what she must have been going through.

Glancing up at her, she was beaming at him though, and he chose not to dwell on it. Focus on the positive, Alex. Though you may not feel it was the right thing to do now, it apparently made her fall in love with you. That's something.

"You want anything else?" He asked her at the end of their meal, after their conversation had moved on to safer topics, her peals of laughter drawing the stares of other diners at times.

She shook her head, biting her lip.

"Can we do this again, some time?" She blurted out, chewing her lip nervously.

"Of course." He assured her, confused for a moment.

"I just feel like we missed out on a lot, doing it all backwards like this." She clarified, and he nodded, realising what she meant.

"We were pretty unconventional." He agreed.

"I just feel like we missed out on all the big moments." She noted, her tone a little sad. She meant things like going on a first date, having their first kiss on her porch, making love for the first time, all of which should usually be done before becoming husband and wife, and Alex gazed at her curiously for a moment, before glancing around at the packed restaurant, leaning in across the table, reaching his hand across to her.

"Take your ring off." He muttered, and she frowned up at him, unmoving for a moment. "Slide me your ring." He flexed his fingers discreetly at her, and she complied, somehow not realised what he was doing, until he slid off his seat, crossing over to her and sinking to one knee dramatically.

"Oh my god, Alex. Stop!" She whispered desperately at him, glancing around embarrassed as several other diners gasped romantically at them.

"Norma Louise Bates..." He started loudly, taking her hand in his. "I wanted you from the first night I met you." He said, somewhat woodenly and she couldn't help but smile at him. "Would you do me the honour of becoming my wife?"

There was a pause, where she pressed her lips together, shaking her head at him. "Will you marry me?" He finished with a flourish, pretending to pull the ring out of his pocket and presenting it to her. She gasped, playing along with him, feeling the eyes of the other people in the restaurant on them both.

"Yes!" She breathed out brokenly, feeling silly but giddy. He slid the ring back onto the finger she had been wearing it on for weeks, rising to his feet and pulling her with him, pulling her in for a searing kiss as a round of applause broke out around them.

She pulled away breathlessly, letting him pull her in for a hug.

"That was ridiculous." She breathed out accusingly into his ear as he span her round.

"You loved it." He shot back, and she grinned, watching a woman at a table near theirs wipe a joyful tear away.

"You've been spending too much time with Gabe." She whispered back, and he pulled back to smile at her, apparently hearing the compliment in her voice.

Alex pulled the car into the motel parking lot with a speed that was neither safe nor reasonable, but he didn't care. He felt almost dizzy with his need to feel his wife writhe against him, and he could tell from the way her eyes had bored into the side of his head the whole journey home, she felt the same. Turning the engine off, he chanced a glance at her, almost wishing he hadn't, since a glimpse of her bright azure eyes blown dark with desire did nothing to quell his almost embarrassing need for her. Something had shifted between them the second they had left the restaurant, the banter and the flirting and the casual ease of the evening immediately left behind, replaced with a sudden need for each other. It was ridiculous really; They were old enough to control themselves, but the car journey home had bristled with unspoken tension, his eyes darting down to occasionally catch her thighs rubbing together as she shifted in her seat, her arm sliding across the back of his headrest, reaching out as if to touch his hair, before stopping herself, thinking better of it.

The only words spoken the entire car ride had been a barely audible "Drive faster" whispered close to his ear, and the car had lurched forward as his feet obeyed before his mind could resist. He had run three red lights the rest of the way home, and if he was in his right mind, he might have felt a modicum of guilt. But he wasn't. He was driven half mad with the wanting of this woman, this woman who was staring across the car at him like she wanted to eat him alive.

With an almost super human speed, he unhooked his seatbelt, and almost sprinted round to her door, wrenching it open dramatically. His movements slowed slightly as he grasped her arm, pulling her out of the car gently, though she was already jumping out, throwing her arms around his neck, pulling him against her as she pulled him in for a searing kiss.

They fell back roughly against the side of the car, knocking a slight gasp out of her as the backs of her legs brushed against the freezing metal of the car. He pulled back a second, watching as their breath turned to mist in front of their faces, glancing up at the house with a look of frustration. It was so far away, up so many steps and locked doors and he wanted her NOW. He glanced back at her, watching her pant slightly, her nose a little pink in the chilled winter air, and he was furious the weather had chosen this night to turn so cold. If it was only a little warmer, he would think nothing of bending her over the hood of the car and taking her right there and then.

Slightly shocked at the scandalous direction his own thoughts had taken, wondering what Norma Bates had done to him, he didn't notice the devilish grin that was spreading over her face as she watched his tortured expression. She had followed his gaze up to the house, watched him glare at the mountain of steps and then watched his gaze flicked briefly to the hood of the car, and had managed to read his every thought.

She stepped to the side suddenly, sliding out of his arms, and for a second, he flicked his head to gaze at her in confusion. She reached behind her, grasping the door handle, before stepping forward, opening the car door with a flourish and a wild little giggle.

Shaking his head, he grinned down at his shoes for a minute, buying himself a moment to figure out if she was serious or not. This was madness - The house was right there, with a warm bed which was an appropriate place for two grown, married adults to make love to each other. But right now, he just wanted to fuck her in his squad car. And when he glanced up at her, watching her suck her lip into her mouth, before stepping backwards, sinking down onto the back seat, it seemed that was exactly what she wanted too.

"Come on..." She coaxed, sliding back along the back seat, sitting up for a moment to unbutton her coat and slide it off her shoulders. She shivered, the cold of the night seeping in through the open door, and he finally moved, lurching forward to join her, slamming the door shut behind him. With the pretence of keeping her warm, he wrapped his arms back around her, pressing her against the opposite door. She gasped, flinching as the door handle pressed roughly into her spine, making her jolt forward, bumping her forehead against his.

"Ow."

"Sorry, sorry. You ok?" She nodded, and they both laughed breathlessly as she wriggled forward, settling herself more comfortably under him. He leaned down to kiss her, his knees just about finding the room to settle either side of her hips, letting her hands pull his suit jacket off his shoulders.

His hands tangled in her hair as she fumbled with his tie, loosening it just enough to open his top button, leaning up to press her lips against his neck. They sat up, so that she could shimmy off the little cropped cardigan she wore over her dress, and he could pull his jacket all the way off. They both shivered, and Alex watched as goosebumps rose up along Norma's now bare arms, her teeth chattering a little in the frigid air of the car.

"Jesus Christ, it's freezing tonight." She muttered, wriggling out from under him to sit up properly. He nodded, sighing a little. She was right. It was far too cold to do this. What were they thinking?

"Yeah, you're right. Let's-" He was cut off as she swung forwards suddenly, pulling her upper body between the two front seats. He froze for a second, as her ass wiggled tantalisingly, inches from his face. He had always been an ass man, and Norma Bates' ass had always had a particular allure for him. Every hug, every embrace, he found his hands sliding to her behind. It was like a natural instinct, and now, as she leaned forward even more, her hands fumbling with something in the front seat, he couldn't tear his eyes away from her.

She was speaking to him, but he had no idea what she was saying, his thoughts elsewhere as she bobbed around in front of him.

"Alex?" She asked curiously, glancing over her shoulder, and rolling her eyes when she found him gazing intently at her rear. "Which one is the heat?"

"Hm? Oh... the grey slider. Slide it towards the red side and then press the button above it." She turned back, following his instructions, gasping when she felt his hands on the backs of her thighs, slowly sliding her dress up. Satisfied that the car was now filling with heat, she was about to settle back in the backseat, when her skirt was suddenly flipped up and over her her back. She glanced over her shoulder seductively, wiggling her lace-clad ass, knowing he'd love it. She gasped again as she felt his teeth graze lightly over her ass cheek, biting down gently right under where the fabric met her flesh.

His fingers hooked into her underwear and she shivered as he wriggled her panties down her thighs, his teeth once again grazing her ass cheek, his hands coming up to caress her flesh.

A sudden sharp sound rang out through the car, as Norma heard him smack her ass before she felt it. It wasn't hard at all, just a gentle slap, but the act had been so unexpected, so playful and out of character from his man she really barely knew that she jolted, hitting her head hard off the ceiling of the car. Wincing, she sank back beside him, collapsing back into the back seat in a giggling mess, one hand pressed against the top of her head, glancing at him incredulously.

"Oh my God, I'm sorry. I don't know what-" He looked so apologetic, his hand scrubbing through his short hair nervously, looking like he didn't know what had possessed him to do that, and it just made Norma laugh more, shaking her head at him like she couldn't believe it either.

"Come here." He muttered, wrapping a hand round the back of her neck and gently pulling her forwards, pressing an apologetic kiss against the top of her head. Her giggles subsided slowly as he nuzzled against her hair, her face pressed against his chest, the atmosphere between them changing once again. She shuffled towards him, closing the gap between them, his hand stroking down her hair and along her back.

"Do you want to go back up to the house?" He said quietly against the top of her head, his tone overly casual to cover his fear that she might say yes. She tilted her head up towards him, smiling wickedly at him, her eyes dark as she shook her head.

"Not yet." She muttered, before sitting up abruptly and swinging her leg over his lap, pulling herself up to straddle his thighs. He chuckled, feeling like a reckless teenager as she kissed him hungrily, her hands pulling at his shirt, grinding herself against him.

His hands slid down her back, dragging open the zip of her dress as they went, before stroking back up to her shoulders, pushing the straps of her dress down.

A muffled tinny sound suddenly filled the car and they froze, recognising Norma's cell phone ringtone. She wrenched her lips away from his, glancing behind her at her purse, her expression torn.

"Leave it." He muttered, sliding down her bra straps to follow the straps of her dress, leaning up to press his lips against the hollow of her throat.

"But..." She breathed out, tipping her head back to give him better access, her hands resting on the sides of his face. "...what if it's important?"

"Then they'll call back." He mumbled out against her throat, kissing along her collarbone and then down her shoulder, and back again.

"But-" She gasped as he suddenly grasped her butt, grinding her hard against the bulge in his pants.

The shrill ringing stopped and she seemed temporarily appeased, letting out a series of breathless sighs against his cheek as she rubbed herself against him, her hair tickling his face as she dropped her head to his shoulder.

"What are we doing?" He muttered incredulously, as her hands drifted down his chest, slipping between them to reach for his belt.

"Well if you have to ask..." She chuckled, still focusing on his belt, lifting herself up to get it undone, gasping as his hands snapped to her hips, pulling her back down heavily on his lap. His hands slid up her sides, stopping to cup her face, his thumbs grazing her cheekbones, drawing her attention back to his face. Her frantic movements slowed to a stop and they stared at each other for a second, their eyes darting wildly around each other's faces like they'd never properly seen each other before.

"What are we doing?" He repeated quietly, a smile playing on his lips as he gazed at her, his fingers pushing her hair out of her eyes. She felt herself blushing, not because she was straddling his lap with no underwear on, or because the top half of her dress was flapping open, or because they were dry humping like horny teenagers in the back of a police vehicle but because he was looking at her so seriously, so lovingly, like he was staring straight into her soul. Her cheeks coloured and her tongue unconsciously darted out to wet her lips, watching as his eyes flicked down to watch her tongue.

She swayed forwards again, capturing his lips, kissing him gently, tentatively this time, letting their lips move lazily against each others. His hands swept over her hair, sliding down her chest to tug down the front of her dress, his fingers tracing the lace of her bra, making her sigh into his mouth.

She squeezed her thighs around him a little, pulling her lips away from his, trailing kisses along his jaw.

"Shuffle forwards." She commanded quietly, feeling him wrap an arm securely around her back and awkwardly shuffling forwards a few inches, making room for her to slide her knees forward. He leaned back contentedly, letting her fumble with his zipper again, smiling as he watched her brow furrow with concentration as she struggled in the darkness. Glancing up to see him staring at her, she flashed him a wicked grin, letting the backs of her fingers brush against him, watching as his head dropped back, gasping at the ceiling.

His hands flew to her thighs, sliding her dress back up, grabbing at her ass again, breathing out a breathless chuckle as her hand wrapped around him.

"You drive me crazy." He muttered, as she started shuffling up on her knees, awkwardly shifting up his lap.

"Good." She murmured as she rose up on her knees, wriggling to line herself up, before that shrill tinny sound filled the car again, making her freeze. She shot him an apologetic look, as he pouted helplessly at her, both of them still for a moment, listening to her ringtone.

She twisted suddenly, sitting back on his knees and swinging her body round to grab at her purse. His arm wrapped round her protectively, the only thing stopping her from falling backwards as she whirled round, trusting him to support her weight as she retrieved her purse from the floor, rifling through it for her phone.

"No, no, no." He muttered desperately, though it was futile; She was already pulling out her cellphone, sliding to answer before he could stop her. "No." He whined like a child that was having his favourite toy taken off him.

"Hello?" She trilled pleasantly, always the face of decorum, even in their current obscene position.

Alex could just about make out the sound of some kind of recorded voice through the phone, something that sounded like a collect call or something similar, but he didn't care, his hands running up the curve of her waist to her chest, yanking down the cups of her bra, enjoying the way her eyes lost focus as she struggled to listen to the phone call.

"Alex..." She said, her voice a warning as she narrowed her eyes at him, watching as he shrugged innocently at her. "Behave." She whispered, holding the phone away for a moment to glare at him, wildly undermining her warning tone by swaying her torso towards him. He pressed his face between her breasts, feeling uncharacteristically wild, deliberately distracting her by nuzzling and nipping at her flesh, enjoying the way the phone dropped a few inches away from her face.

There was a pause, when the recorded voice stopped and there was silence from the other end of the line for a moment and he took the opportunity to graze his teeth over her nipple, earning him a throaty moan, which was cut off by a quiet "Hello?" from the momentarily forgotten phone.

"Oh. Hi, yes. Hello?" She said politely, raising the phone back to her ear, trying unsuccessfully to push his face away from her chest, sucking in a shaky breath as his tongue flicked back and forth across her nipple.

She gasped as she clearly recognised the voice on the other end of the line, tapping against the side of Alex's face, even as he ignored her silent protests, holding her tight against him.

"Oh! God, no. No, no. Honey, I'm fine." She said breathlessly, her eyes going wide, her hand unconsciously coming up to slap him harder than she meant to across the face, shocking him into releasing her, dropping his head back to stare at her in confusion. His hand came up to brush against his cheek, as she shot him a wild, apologetic look, pressing a finger to her lips as if he had been about to shout down the phone.

"No, it's not a bad time at all. I was just... doing laundry." He let his hands drop from her body, flopping uselessly to his sides. She sat back on his knees heavily, her whole body sagging, her hand coming to press frantically against her forehead.

"Okay..." She said slowly, biting her lip, looking like she was about to cry. "Are you sure about this?"

Alex watched as her face fell, even as her voice remained chipper, her tone fake and syrupy.

"Ok honey." She said in a wary tone, and Alex read the situation, gently tugging her bra and dress up to cover her up, sliding the straps back up her shoulders. She shot him a grateful look as he gently smoothed her dress back down over her legs, letting his hands rest on her hips, giving her a reassuring squeeze as she stared out of the window, frowning out into the darkness.

"No, no. Of course I am! Don't be silly. Of course I'm happy. I just... Ok. He did?" Her hand squeezed into his shoulder, as she steadied herself, looking the same way she did the day he'd told her about Norman and Blair Watson. His hand drifted up to cup her cheek, surprised when she leaned away from his touch, avoiding his eye contact. "Yeah, that'd be great. I'd like to talk to him. Can he call me tomorrow? Yeah that's fine. Ok, yeah. I love you too. Bye."

She clicked the phone off, plastering a smile on her face, taking a deep, nervous breath as she finally made eye contact with him. He could already guess what she was going to say, but he let her speak all the same, swallowing anything he was thinking as he let her process for a moment.

"So... Norman's coming home."


	24. Chapter 24

"You ok?" He asked quietly over breakfast the next day.

He had lay next to her all night, listening to her even breathing while she pretended to sleep. He could hear her thinking though, hear her worrying and for once, he had no idea what to say.

He couldn't pretend that he wasn't worried about Norman coming home. He couldn't pretend to have any of the answers right now, so he had let her clamber awkwardly off his lap, let her tell him that apparently Dr Edwards had said that Norman was making great progress and could continue his treatment at home and that Dr Edwards was going to call tomorrow to talk about it with her and she rambled on and on while she scrambled around on the floor for her underwear. She had eventually stumbled out of the car, awkwardly sliding her underwear back on and then just standing there, rubbing her hand through her hair and staring despondently up at the house.

"You ok?" He had asked warily, worried when she didn't answer him, just continued shivering in the freezing cold air, staring up at her darkened house, wrapping her arms around herself protectively. He shimmied out of the car ungracefully, wrapping her forgotten coat around her shoulders, jumping when she flinched at his touch, like she had forgotten he was there.

"Norma?" He said gently, like he was talking to a wounded animal. She turned her wide, helpless eyes to him for a moment, her face completely open, looking especially vulnerable for all of five seconds before she snapped out of it.

"Hi." She said brightly, smiling too widely as she pulled her coat on properly. "Thanks."

She set off up the stairs at an alarming pace and he could only watch her for a dumbstruck second before trotting along to catch up with her.

"Norma-" He grabbed her elbow, pulling her back to him. She shook her head, sighing heavily.

"Alex, not now." She said, suddenly sounding exhausted. His face dropped as he sucked in a disappointed breath at being shut out so suddenly. It had been a while since she had flashed him the steely gaze she was staring at him with now. She softened at his hurt expression, and for one horrible moment he thought she was about to cry. "I'm just really tired." She said gently, flashing him a frantic, darting glance, looking like she desperately needed to not talk about it right now.

"Ok, ok." He murmured gently, letting his hand trail down her arm to her hand, taking it in his. He was pleased that she let him, giving her fingers a reassuring squeeze as he pulled her up the stairs with him, catching her shooting him nervous, worried little glances.

The silence became oppressive as it stretched on, all the way up the stairs, all the way into their bedroom, where she pulled away from him, turning away to undress for bed. He leaned against the doorway, watching her undress without the usual lust filling his eyes, wringing his hands together awkwardly. She was just pulling her nightdress over her head when she finally became aware of his stillness behind her, spinning round to face him as the silky fabric slid down her body, her expression confused.

"Do you... Do you still want me to sleep here?" He asked uncertainly, watching as she sighed heavily, immediately realising he'd said the wrong thing.

"Alex..." She started wearily, rubbing her hand across her eyes like she was exasperated by him. "Don't be ridiculous."

He rolled his eyes at her, taking a few steps forward, turning to drop his jacket on the chair.

"I just wasn't sure..." He muttered, feeling just as out of his depth as he had back when they got to Florida. It was different this time though. The problem wasn't something to be vanquished this time - It was her son. Horrible memories, panic attacks and Norma's demons suddenly seemed simple in comparison to this new, strange distance between them.

She sighed heavily as her only response, and when he turned, after stripping off his clothes and laying them neatly on the chair like he knew she liked, she was sitting delicately on the edge of the bed, staring up at the moon through the open curtains. Her eyes were huge and watery as she stared vacantly up at the window, bathed in silvery light, her brow furrowed, biting her lip. He crawled over the bed to stop just behind her, reaching out to grasp her shoulders lightly, pleased that she didn't flinch this time.

His thumbs began to work gently into her muscles, trying in vain to work out the knots that seemed to have formed there in the past twenty minutes. She let her head flop back, some of the tension leaving her body as she sagged back, sniffling quietly.

"It's gonna be ok." He said, somewhat uselessly, but she nodded tightly, reaching across herself to press her hand over his gratefully, nuzzling her cheek against their joined hands.

He opened his mouth to speak again, with no idea what he was going to say, when she pulled away suddenly, crawling into the sheets.

"Can we just... can we just talk about this tomorrow?" She said sadly, wrapping the sheet around herself as she curled into a ball, facing away from him.

"Sure." He whispered, laying back against the pillows, unsure of what she wanted until she reached behind her, grasping his hand and pulling him onto his side, tugging his arm around her.

"Thank you for dinner." She whispered, and he nodded against her hair. "I had a nice time." Her voice was small and sad and Alex desperately hoped he was imagining the sense of finality that seemed to tinge her words.

"Me too." There was a long, heavy silence.

"You're not alone, you know?" He murmured, pulling her tighter against him. She didn't say anything, didn't squeeze his hands or move a muscle and Alex's heart sank as he seemed to feel her pulling away from him, even as she lay still and passive in his arms.

They lay like that all night, both of them pretending to sleep while their loud persistent thoughts kept them awake.

Alex was on his third cup of coffee already, both of them making awkward small talk over breakfast, their tones clipped and tight.

"Are you ok?" He said finally, looking up at her pointedly from their coffee cups.

She flashed him a tight smile, before casting her eyes down again.

"Of course. Why wouldn't I be?"

"Norma-" He tilted his head at her, his tone soft. "Come on..."

"What do you want me to say, Alex?" She said, resting her head on her hand, sounding exhausted.

"I don't know, Norma." He said, staring at the dregs of his coffee like they would tell him what to say. The words sounded like they could have easily been arguing, but their matching tones and expressions told a different story - A story of two people who had no idea what to think or say.

"I'm scared for him to come home." She said finally.

He nodded slowly, opening his mouth to speak, almost relieved when she cut him off.

"I'm happy he's coming home." She insisted, and Alex watched her face for any signs of insincerity, finding none. "I missed him." She added quietly, smiling to herself, and any doubts that he had about her sincerity disappeared.

"I know."

"What does this mean... for us?" He asked the bottom of his coffee cup, instantly feeling selfish for focusing on how this would affect him. He chanced a glance up at her, pleased that she didn't seem to hate him for asking the question they were both wondering about.

"I don't know." She whispered, and she suddenly shot up, filling the sink to wash their untouched plates.

"I need to talk to Doctor Edwards. I... already called him. He said I can come in to his office and talk to him in person."

"When?"

She checked her watch, gasping at the time, drying her hands on a dishtowel.

"Erm, now actually."

"Ok." He nodded at the back of her head, before rising and grabbing her phone off the wall.

"Hey, it's Romero. Tell Woods I'm gonna take the morning off today. Yeah... Yes Janine, the whole morning. I'll be in after lunch. I've got my cell if there's any emergencies... That's really none of your business, Janine. Just tell Woods, please."

He hung up and turned to find her staring at him open mouthed, the towel still hanging limply from her hands. He narrowed his eyes at her, trying to read her expression and failing miserably.

"I just... I'm here if you want me to be." He explained, shrugging lightly, as she crossed the kitchen towards him, the dishtowel dropping to the ground. For a second, he wasn't sure if she was about to slap him for his presumptuousness, so he was pleasantly surprised when she wrapped her arms around him, pulling him in for a crushing hug.

"Alex?" He nodded in reply, managing to keep his hands wrapped around her waist, not letting his usually eager hands drift down to her rear.

"Don't be rude to Janine." She chastised quietly, and he laughed, a real proper laugh that surprised them both and managed to lift some of the tension that had followed them since her phonecall in the car.

After meeting with the exceptionally patient Doctor Edwards, and explaining their somewhat unusual situation, they decided it was best to try and get Norman used to the idea of Alex being around, without him being his mother's husband, not in the real sense. So Norma and Alex had glumly packed up Alex's stuff and moved him back down to Room 11 the night before Norman was due to return home, spending the last few minutes getting their stories straight.

"So we got married for the insurance and you moved in here so that you could run up to the house if the marriage police came by to check."

He smiled at her insistent use of the term "marriage police" which she said completely seriously every time she said it, trying to ignore the rest of her sentence. The truth was, it hurt him a little more every time she said it, scrolling through the facts unemotionally as she paced up and down the motel room.

"And we've become friends since you've been here-"

"We were already friends." He corrected, from where he was perched on the edge of the bed, watching her pace. She stopped, turning to face him.

"Right. Yeah... right. But now we're... better friends and that's why you come up for dinner every day, and he'll get used to having you there for dinner and then..."

She trailed off, her words tumbling out too fast as he jumped up and crossed the room, his hands grasping her waist to stop her nervous movements.

"It's going to be fine. Doctor Edwards said so. And he doesn't strike me as the lying type." He smiled gently at her as she nodded, puffing out a calming breath. She finally caught his eye, smiling gratefully up at him, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him in for a gentle hug.

He embraced her for a moment, breathing in the lavender scent of her shampoo, his hands sliding along the curve of her back, already trying to commit every aroma, every curve and aspect of her to memory as if he were going off to war. He turned his face into her neck, pressing soft kisses there, his hands drifting down to rest on her tailbone, feeling her body melt against his for a few moments before she leaned back, jerking her neck away from his lips. He frowned down at her, confused as she pushed against his chest, shooting him an unreadable expression as she wriggled out of his grip, taking a shaky step back.

"Ok. Well, goodnight." She said quietly, reaching up to peck his cheek, before turning and sweeping out of the room without another word.

He stood there, dumbstruck as the door closed behind her and he stood staring blankly at the door for a few moments.

His eyes darted around the room, like he couldn't quite believe what had happened, hating himself for becoming the man who simply expected sex from his wife, but still in shock that on this, their last night together before their world was turned upside down, she would simply kiss him on the cheek and leave.

After a few silent minutes, there was a chipper little knock on the door, and he lurched forwards with an embarrassing haste, wrenching the door open to find her standing there, one arm stretched out above her, leaning on the doorframe seductively.

"Hi." She smiled wickedly at him, taking in his flustered expression, raising her eyebrows at him. "Just kidding."

She giggled as he reached for her, pulling her into the room, and kicking the door shut behind her. There was a shrill peal of laughter that made her glad they didn't have any other guests, as he hoisted her up to roughly deposit her on the dresser next to the door, his hands gripping her thighs, pulling them up to wrap around his hips, before his hands slid higher, gasping into her mouth as he kissed her hard.

"You're not wearing any underwear." He blurted out against her mouth, feeling her smile as his lips drifted to her jaw.

"I keep leaving them places." She said innocently, pouting, sounding genuinely saddened by her own forgetfulness and the awkward situations it had created for them. He laughed against her throat, before nipping gently at her collarbone, frowning as she jerked away.

"No marks. I don't want Norman to see." She scolded lightly, and he let his mouth fall open as if wounded by her warning. In truth, he was occasionally mildly horrified by the faint handprints he sometimes left on her thighs or her hips, or the stubble rash that marred the insides of her thighs, or the tiny hickeys he sometimes accidentally left on her neck in the heat of the moment. Not that Norma seemed to mind, tutting and rolling her eyes, but secretly admiring the faint possessive marks in the mirror when she thought he wasn't looking. She was always careful to assure him he hadn't hurt her, just like he was always careful to check.

"Don't act like you don't need telling." She shook her head at him incredulously, giggling, and he slowed his pace, returning to where he had just grazed his teeth, replacing the action with a series of incredibly soft kisses.

"Fine." He agreed, licking softly at the hollow of her throat. "I'll be gentle."

"Now, no-one said anything about gentle." She muttered back, suddenly yanking the shoulder of his black t-shirt down, biting down on the curve between his shoulder and his neck. He yelped, shaking his head at her, open mouthed at her audacity. Apparently marks on him were still fair game.

"Now, now. Mrs Romero." His hands drifted to her shirt, pulling the simple sweater over her head. "Play nicely." He murmured, his tone low and dangerous, watching as she sucked her bottom lip into her mouth, her breaths coming out too hard. His hands drifted behind her, undoing her bra with one smooth flick of his wrist, sliding it off and bending his knees to slide down her body a little. She leaned back on the dresser, letting her hands stretch out behind her, her head dropping back.

"Or we'll have to find places Norman won't look." He bit down lightly on the curve of her breast, just hard enough to mark, pleased when she let out an appreciative little squeak, her hands flying to his hair, tugging painfully.

He spent the rest of the night trying to make her forget about all the worries, and the anxieties that plagued them both about the following day, finding new places to mark her, places that he hoped to god Norman wouldn't look at. By the morning, they were a mess, Alex covered in faint scratches, his shoulder aching from where she had bitten down particularly hard to muffle a scream, and he was stroking his hand up and down the curve of her hip, watching as his handprint there refused to fade at all, feeling that familiar sense of guilt at having gripped her hard enough to mark her, especially when she had specifically asked him not to. She yawned, nuzzling her head against where it was resting on his arm, her eyes fluttering open from her little doze. She stretched contentedly, freezing when she noticed something.

"We broke the wall." She observed mildly, and he followed her gaze to the wall next to the door, his mouth dropping open when he noticed the cracks in the cheap plaster work where the corner of the dresser had been repeatedly slammed against it.

"God." He muttered, slightly horrified as he pulled back from her and rolled her onto her back, his eyes darting all around her naked body, searching for any signs of distress. She watched him, a confused, slightly amused smile playing on her lips as she watched him examine her, her hand coming up to gently cup her face when she realised what he was doing. "I'm sorry." He mumbled, turning his face to place a soft kiss against her palm.

She shook her head at him, sighing exasperatedly.

"I got carried away."

She traced the bitemark on his shoulder lightly with her finger, shooting him a pointed look.

"Yeah. Me too." He rolled his eyes, laughing softly as he dropped his head to her shoulder.

"It was our last night together in the bubble." He pointed out, using her own term that she had started using since finding out Norman was coming home. It made her feel slightly guilty to think of her son as being something that would "burst the bubble" but once she'd thought of it, she couldn't help it. "I should have made love to you."

She smiled up at him, running her hands through his hair, tracing the shell of his ear with her thumb. She would have rolled her eyes at anyone else using such a quaint term for it, but sometimes, when he took her so gently and lovingly, whispering how much he loved her the whole time, pressing soft kisses against her jaw until she trembled in his arms, there didn't seem to be another term that suited it quite so well, and she couldn't bring herself to mock him for his old fashioned wording.

"Instead of fucking me on the dresser till we broke the wall?" She queried playfully, her tone seductive, not being able to help herself. His mouth dropped open at her words. She was no stranger to swearing, but she reserved some words for only occasional use, and this time, her words had the desired effect as he unconsciously shifted his body on top of hers, trailing his nails lightly down her side, making her shiver.

"Exactly." He murmured against her cheek, kissing along her cheekbone as her thighs dropped open, her ankles sliding down the backs of his legs.

She turned her head, glancing at the clock next to the bed.

"We still have time."

"So we do." He nodded mildly, rubbing himself against her teasingly, enjoying the way her head dropped back against the pillows, her back arching against him.

"Make love to me then." She whispered in his ear, in only a slightly mocking tone at his flowery wording, and he cut off her little giggle by sliding inside her smoothly, muffling her gasp by pressing his lips gently against hers.

He set up a gentle, teasing rhythm, lightly running his nails up and down her sides, enjoying the way she jerked against him every time he did it, watching her eyes flutter shut, her teeth worrying her bottom lip. He clutched her to him and rolled them over so she was on top of him, the way he knew she wanted him to, watching as she smiled down at him breathlessly, changing their pace slightly. He was happy to let her, wrapping his hands around her back, holding her against him desperately like she was going to disappear.

Her movements grew sloppy quickly, and he was glad, listening as her soft moans quickly turned to frantic sobs, feeling the muscles in her back go taut as her body began to tighten around him.

"Tell me everything's gonna be ok." She muttered desperately against his cheek.

"Everything's gonna be ok." He panted out, his hands tangling in her hair, as she began to lose her rhythm, her frenzied rocking growing erratic.

"Tell me you love me." She demanded, her nails digging in to where they were pressing against his chest.

"I love you, I love you, I love you." He chanted out, his voice ragged, his words filling the room as she grew silent for a moment, before releasing a series of quiet muffled sobs into his neck, her nails dragging down his chest of their own will, her body tightening and shuddering and pushing him over the edge at the same time.

He groaned loudly, enjoying the lack of other guests at the motel and she choked out another soft sentence that he missed over the sounds of his own release, and it took a few moments to regain his breathing and ask what she had said.

"What?"

"Tell me you wont leave me." She gasped out quietly, as she continued to tremble as his hands stroked up and down her back. His hands flew to the sides of her face and pulled her back to look at him, her gaze hesitant and worried, her eyes huge and shiny with unshed tears.

"Never." He said seriously, pulling her close to rest her forehead against his.

"Even if things with Norman get-" He cut her off as he sat up abruptly, his hands looped under her arms, holding her fast against him, his hands grasping the sides of her face to gaze at her.

"Never." He nodded at her, and she smiled, her eyes drifting shut, letting a couple of tears slip out from under her closed eyelids.

He brushed them away tenderly, kissing the tip of her nose, making her breath out a soft, tearful laugh.

"You know, if a woman cries after sex, it's usually a sign you either did something very wrong or very right."

She licked her lips, shrugging casually, as she wiped her fingers under her eyes, sniffling.

"Meh. It was ok." She said dismissively, flashing him a dangerous smile that dropped as his hand flew down to sandwich between them, swiping his thumb against her clit.

"Only ok?" He muttered dangerously, as she jerked, gasping hard.

"Too much, too much." She whispered, shuddering lightly as he immediately withdrew his hand from the over-sensitised spot above where their bodies were still joined. Her eyes fluttered open again to find him smirking at her, his expression smug, as she giggled breathlessly at him.

"Fine." She admitted, her smile telling all, and he pressed a kiss over the spot where her ring finger met her palm, tracing his lips over the cool metal there before winding her arms around his neck and wrapping his arms tightly around her back.

"Come on." He murmured, shuffling to the edge of the bed, and struggling to his feet with her in his arms.

"Where are we going?" She asked brightly, her eyes drifting back over to the chest of drawers and the splintered wall behind it, her gaze half excited, half wary. He followed her eyeline and rolled his eyes.

"Shower." He grunted out, like he was directing an unruly child to bathtime.

"Oh." She breathed out, sounding more disappointed than relieved.

"My god, woman." He muttered, kicking open the bathroom door, feeling her lips move back to his neck.

"You're gonna be the death of me."

"At least you'll die happy."


	25. Chapter 25

"We don't have much time." Norma burst through the door without knocking, kicking it shut behind her and already pulling her shift dress over her head. Alex was sat on the bed, watching her with amusement as she kicked her shoes off, padding over to him in her underwear, his hands crossed across his stomach, enjoying the show.

"Hi honey. How was your day?" He said pointedly as she clambered over the bed to him, rolling him on top of her with a surprising strength. She giggled up at him.

"Oh, you know, the usual. Laundry, housework..." She lowered her tone, wrapping her arms around his neck. "...Thought about this all day."

"Really? ALL day?" He muttered down at her, pressing a series of fluttering kisses against her jaw. "Well that sounds distracting."

"Mmm. It was." She dropped her head back, letting him kiss her gently for a second, before the flurry of activity was back, hurricane Norma pulling insistently at his shirt again.

"Ok. No time." She panted out against his neck and he chuckled at her. It had been like this all week, and he was only too happy to oblige when she swept into his room in the middle of the night, climbing into bed with him without a word, or knocking at his door with a beaming, professional smile and a stack of towels he didn't ask for. He assumed it was the added excitement of sneaking around, making her insatiable, drawing her back to him at every available opportunity and, as much as he was enjoying it, he missed his wife, missed sharing a bed with her, and waking up early to lazily make love to one another, missed doing up her dress for her, and wrapping his arms around her when she was cooking.

Thankfully, he didn't have to miss her cooking though, since Doctor Edwards had suggested he join them for dinner every night, and Alex was grateful for the suggestion. The first night had been awkward, with Norman shooting him suspicious glances over his meal, making polite small talk about Pineview, and his new friend there, and about how happy he was to be home.

Eventually though, as both Norman and Alex rose from their seats to help Norma with the dishes, a mini stand-off occurring, Norman finally addressed the elephant in the room.

"Why are you here?" He blurted out, bluntly, and Norma's fork clattered loudly onto the plate she was holding, all of them frozen for a second.

"Norman! Don't be rude. Alex is our guest."

"But... why?" Norman didn't sound angry, just genuinely curious, cocking his head at Alex, who floundered for a moment before taking a deep breath, sinking back down into his seat.

Norman followed suit, but Norma remained frozen, half standing, her mostly full plate still in her hand.

"Sit down Norma." Alex commanded quietly, and Norman's gaze flittered to his mother, shocked when she complied with his request. He glared at the man who dared tell his mother what to do.

"I wanted to help out your mom, Norman." He said eventually. "I have good insurance through my job and I wasn't using it, and you and your mom needed it, so..." He trailed off, watching as Norman folded his hands together on the table in front of him, nodded lightly.

"Yes, I know all this. Mother filled me in your... arrangement." He spoke the word arrangement through gritted teeth and Alex just nodded tightly. He knew Norma had told him all of this, but it felt necessary to reiterate it. "But why are you here... for dinner?"

"Well, I didn't really have much choice in the matter." Alex chuckled, working hard to keep his tone light and breezy, shooting Norma a glance that told her to smile, or at least wipe the terrified expression off her face. "Once your mother found out I live on leftover chinese takeout and stale coffee, she was pretty insistent that I should start coming over for dinner."

"It was the least I could do, really." She supplied, warmly, and he saw her fingers twitch, knowing she was desperate to feel the comforting touch of his hand from across the table.

"Alex helped us alot, Norman. I'm very grateful to him." She said evenly, even as Alex and Norman both frowned at her use of the word grateful. Alex hated how it sounded, how it would seem when the truth came out. She seemed to realise she'd said the wrong thing, shifting uncomfortably in her seat.

"Alex has been a great friend to me." Alex flinched again, frowning down at his plate, hating how wooden the words sounded on her tongue. He didn't dare glance up at Norman, doubtful he would be buying this.

"It was hard for me when you left." She said quietly, her words much softer and more real now, and he looked over at her to see her gazing at Norman with wide, shiny eyes.

"I didn't leave, Mother. You had me committed." Norman said calmly, his voice sounding more sad than angry, like the betrayal still stung him. She cast her gaze down to her plate, sniffling a little, nodding. Alex wanted nothing more than to cross over to her, to hug her and remind her that she did the right thing. But he couldn't, so he watched as her face crumpled, his daze darting back and forth from Norma to Norman.

After a long silence, Norman's face finally softened as he seemed to realise something.

"But you were alone." He said, nodding down at the table, his eyes suddenly flicking up at Alex with an unreadable expression.

"And the Sheriff here needed feeding." His words had a slight edge to them, that made Alex nod warily at him, flashing him a cautious smile.

"I'm a growing boy." He quipped and Norma laughed much too brightly, some of the tension finally leaving the room.

"Well, thank you for keeping her company." Norman said, an air of finality in his voice that made Alex and Norma shoot each other panicked looks. "She hates to eat alone." He added, somewhat patronisingly, as if she wasn't there.

"No problem. It's been a pleasure." Alex smiled, immediately kicking himself for talking about it in past tense, watching as Norman rose, grabbing their plates from the table before Alex could move a muscle, a tense smile frozen in place.

"Sheriff, will you be joining us for dinner tomorrow?" He asked, pausing in the doorway, and Norma's face lit up as she glanced over at Alex. He puffed out a relieved breath before answering.

"If that's ok?" He pretended to address the question to Norma, but he was really asking Norman.

"Of course. We'd love to have you." She trilled brightly, looking over anxiously at Norman who finally glanced back over his shoulder at them. "Right, Norman?"

"Right." He nodded, cocking his head suspiciously at Alex before sweeping out of the room, leaving a slightly uneasy feeling behind.

Finally telling Norman the truth had gone about as well as could be expected. They had spoken to Dr Edwards about it extensively beforehand, and gone with his suggestions for how they should approach it. At his recommendation, they had chosen dinner time, and had spent the week before making sure Alex was present at every dinner, to get Norman used to him being there. The dinners before had gone well, with Norman and Alex actually getting along better than anyone had expected, with Alex somehow promising to take him fishing at some point.

The only uncomfortable moment was when Alex had accidentally trailed his fingers across Norma's back as he passed her. It had been an unconscious action, but Norman had frozen, his eyes narrowed at Alex from across the room. No-one mentioned it, but they all knew that Norman knew in that moment. He had suspected as soon as he got home, but that little brush of Alex's fingers had been so natural, so comfortable that it had confirmed it. So he wasn't surprised when the conversation finally came about a few days later.

"Norman, we have something we'd like to talk to you about."

Norman placed his knife and fork down very deliberately, folding his hands together to regard his mother intently.

"I suppose the Sheriff will be moving his things back into your room now?"

There was obviously no use in pretending, and Alex and Norma shared a glance before Alex spoke up.

"Not if you're not comfortable with that, Norman." He spoke slowly, deliberately, like every word was heavily considered. "That's the most important thing here. Your recovery."

"My recovery?" Norman parroted back to him, laughing mirthlessly. "Please don't act like my recovery is your primary concern, Sheriff Romero. What was your plan? To take me fishing a few times so I wouldn't mind that you were fucking my mother?"

"Hey!" Romero interjected, slamming his hand on the table. "Don't talk like that-"

"DON'T speak to me like you're my father!" Norman shouted, regaining his cool at little at the end of his sentence as his hand twitched on the table. "Don't pretend that you care about me to make yourself look like the hero to her."

He nodded contemptuously at his mother, who looked at the table, her expression crumpling as he sneered at her.

"Norman-" Alex started, and Norma could hear the shake in his voice as he struggled to control his anger. Doctor Edwards had warned them about this. They had known what to expect. "Please try to calm down. Maybe we could call Doctor Edwards-"

"Oh, great idea!" Norman shouted, slamming his hands down again. "Yes, let's call the loony bin. Tell them Norman's having another breakdown. I'm sure you'd much prefer I was locked up again, so you'd be free to prey on my mother."

"Prey on your mother?" Alex repeated back to him, incredulously. "Norman. I love her. We're in love. I'm not-"

"Oh please." He interrupted him. He hadn't taken his eyes off Norma as he spoke, watching her silently fall to pieces as the two men spoke like she wasn't there. "She doesn't love you. I know how much Pineview costs. She had to pay for it somehow-"

"That's enough!" Norma spoke up suddenly, rising to her feet, her hand shooting out to grasp Alex's sleeve as he made a sudden move towards Norman.

The two men continued to stare at each other, the tension in the room suffocating.

"Go to your room." She said suddenly.

"Mother. I'm eighteen. You can't just send me to my room like I'm a chi-"

"GO TO YOUR ROOM!" She screamed hysterically, and he stared at her a moment more before pushing his chair back abruptly, stomping off to his room, slamming the door like a normal, average sullen teenager.

Biting her lip, she released her grip on Alex's sleeve, turning to face him.

"That isn't why I slept with you." She said in a quiet voice, not looking at him. "Well, it kinda was at first but... he's wrong. I do love you."

"I know." He ducked his head to meet her gaze, reassuring her as he reached to cup her face. "I know."

Tears were threatening to fall and he couldn't bear it, so he pulled her into one of his searing hugs, stroking her hair soothingly. With everything going on with Norman, she had felt even more emotional than usual recently, constantly feeling like she was spinning far too many plates in one go. Alex's embrace was the only place she felt calm, the only place she felt like she could let someone else spin the plates for a moment.

"He'll come around. He just needs time." He whispered gently, as she sniffled, not hesitating to wipe her face against his shirt. He smiled at her audacity, pulling back to look at her, watching her stifle a yawn.

"Go to bed." He demanded gently, jerking his head at the dishes on the table. "I'll clean up here and be up in a minute." Her eyes lit up at the idea that they could share a bed now without having to sneak around, even as a wave of guilt washed over her for feeling so happy when Norman was feeling so sad. She nodded lightly, reluctantly leaving his embrace to head up the stairs, pausing to listen for any sounds from Norman's room. There was nothing but silence, angry silence and she sighed, heading to her room to get ready for bed.

Downstairs, Alex did the dishes, replaying the evening in his head. He noticed with annoyance that Norma had barely touched the food on her plate, and, though it was petty, he felt a stab of irritation at Norman for putting her off her food. He couldn't help but feel relief at finally being able to tell Norman the truth, but he wished it had gone more smoothly, for Norma's sake. And, on some level, for Norman's. Though he might not understand him, he didn't dislike the kid, and though he sometimes couldn't relate to him, he couldn't deny that he loved Norma as much as he did. Maybe more.

Gazing forlornly out of the window, his eyes caught sight of the motel below them, and he sighed, realising in all the excitement Norma had forgotten to close up the office. Stepping out into the freezing night air, he pressed the door shut softly behind him, not wanting either of them to hear that he had left, though he wasn't sure why. Norman wasn't a danger anymore, Doctor Edwards had assured him of that, but he still had a vague sense of unease, and he found himself hurrying down the steps, not wanting to leave them alone for a moment longer than he had to.

Norma slipped into her warmest nightgown, a long-sleeved, floor-length flowy white nightdress that was a minimum of a hundred years out of fashion. She didn't care though. She had always loved old fashioned things, and besides, it was freezing in the house tonight, winter setting in rather suddenly, and she shivered, tugging the sleeves down.

There was a soft creak from next door, and she sighed, torn between slipping into bed and waiting for Alex to come and wrap her up in his arms, or trying to make peace with Norman. You should never go to bed angry. That piece of advice sprung to her mind. She was pretty sure it was more aimed at married couples than mothers and sons, but it was still a valid point and she made up her mind, tapping tentatively on his door.

"Norman? Norman, honey?"


	26. Chapter 26

Alex practically sprinted up the steps back to the house, unsure of why he had this horrible foreboding feeling in the pit of his stomach. He had done a cursory job of locking up the motel (literally just turning the lights off and locking the door) and he knew Norma would be annoyed tomorrow, but he had glanced up at the darkened house up on the hill from the office and immediately felt like he needed to be back there straight away.

Pausing at the door, he took a moment to catch his breath, feeling a bit silly. Nothing was wrong, he told himself, calming down as he pushed the door open. He'd only been gone ten minutes.

Just as he stepped through the threshold, there was a sickening thud from the floor above him, and his feet were moving before he could register any sort of emotion, taking the stairs two at a time.

"Norma!" He called out, as he rounded the top of the stairs, skidding to a halt as he took in the scene before him. Norma was laying very still, her eyes closed, her absurd white nightgown, the one that he hated, was fanned out around her, and Norman was kneeling next to her, staring down at her in horror.

"What happened?" Alex said. Norman turned to stare at him, his mouth hanging open wordlessly, holding Norma's still hand in his own.

"Norman?" He couldn't keep the shake out of his voice as he dropped to his knees, his eyes darting wildly from Norma's peaceful face to Norman's horrified one. She was still, far too still, and he snapped, panic setting in, as he reached across her to shove Norman backwards, just wanting to get him away from her.

"What did you do?!" He screamed, cupping Norma's face, turning her head frantically, scanning for injuries.

"She just- She just fell." Norman said blankly. Alex ignored him.

His hands smoothed the hair away from her forehead, noting her face was a little clammy, before they strayed to her neck, searching for a pulse. He was a police officer, so he was trained in basic medical knowledge, which meant finding a pulse should be easy, but his shaking, terrified hands betrayed him and he floundered, forgetting where to look and what to do.

"Baby?" He choked out, tears forming in his eyes. "Please. Please wake up." He murmured desperately, cradling her face, his hand still frantically searching for a pulse.

If he hadn't been struck dumb with shock and terror, he would have noticed how warm her body was, how there was a fresh sheen of sweat on her forehead, how her pulse was actually beating wildly against her neck and her chest was rising in slow, steady breaths. But he didn't, so when she sleepily murmured out "Alex? What time is it?", Alex nearly died of shock, pulling her into a bone crushing hug that she didn't quite understand.

Pulling back, he brushed his thumbs across her cheeks, watching as her eyes fluttered open and she gazed at him, dazed.

"What happened?" She mumbled, frowning in confusion as she glanced around at their surroundings, her eyelids still half closed.

"I told you - She just dropped." Norman piped up in a small voice from where he lay haphazardly where he had fallen.

"Norman?" Norma muttered drowsily, slowly turning her head to the side to glance at him.

Alex glanced guiltily at him, fearing he may have acted too harshly for a second, before Norma's eyes fluttered closed again and she sagged in his arms. This time, he managed to choke down his panic to noticed the steady rise and fall of her chest, but that didn't stop him from scooping her up in his arms, tucking her head against his chest. She wasn't even really unconscious this time, as she murmured softly, wrapping her arms around his neck, but that didn't quell the tight panic in his chest.

"Ok. We're going to the hospital." He announced.

"What? Why? I'm fine." She mumbled against his chest and he would have rolled his eyes if he hadn't been so terrified.

"Shut up," he murmured softly, struggling to his feet and starting to head towards the door. He was halfway down the stairs when he glanced back. Norman was still lying where Alex had shoved him, his pale face frozen in an expression of pure terror, staring at the floor numbly. Alex sighed, glancing at Norma's peaceful face pressed against his chest, then back at Norman. The boy had clearly slipped into shock, and while he still didn't trust or understand what had happened, Norma wouldn't want him to leave him there.

"Norman?" He didn't move or reply. "Norman!" He barked out, making the boy jump. There was no time to be sensitive right now. "Get up." Norman obliged, obediently stumbling to his feet, swaying for a moment before fixing his eyes on where his mother was wrapped in Alex's arms. Fresh tears sprang to his eyes as he gazed at her.

"I need you to drive." Alex said, starting to move again, sprinting as fast as he dared down the stairs.

"I... I can't drive. I don't have a license." Norman choked out, shouting down the stairs after him.

"I'm the Sheriff!" He called back. "If I say you can drive, you can drive."

He paused by the door, not looking back.

"Your mother needs you."

His words had the desired effect and Norman sprung into action, hurrying down after them, rushing to hold the door open for them to slip through. Alex knew that it was best for Norman to focus on something right now, which is why he wanted him to drive, even though his common sense told him that asking a mentally unstable teenager, who was definitely in shock and occasionally suffered from blackouts to drive was an incredibly stupid idea. As he settled into the back seat, pulling Norma into his lap and watching the back of Norman's head as he nervously fidgeted in the driver's seat, he realised it was because he didn't quite trust Norman with the woman they both loved.

Norma was mostly awake by the time they had reached the hospital, sighing and "pffft"ing alot at being treated like an invalid.

"Honestly, this is ridiculous." She said for the hundredth time. "Norman, honey? Turn the car around." Norman stared at the road ahead, but glanced at Alex in the rearview mirror for a nod of confirmation that he should do no such thing. They had managed to convince her that she should at least get checked out, to soothe their worries at least, but that didn't mean she had to like it, pouting at them both.

"Stop fussing." She muttered, batting away Alex's nervous hands and swinging to sit up abruptly, sliding across the back seat, privately wanting to be wearing her own seatbelt while her unlicensed son drove. A wave of dizziness washed over her as she sat up, and she turned her head sharply to look out of the window to cover it. It was just the stress of the day, she told herself, taking steadying deep breaths, ignoring the feel of Alex's eyes boring into the side of her face and the way Norman kept glancing at her worriedly in the mirror.

By the time they pulled into the parking lot, she felt dreadful, but was desperately trying not to let on how ill she felt as Norman ineptly parked the car. Her mind raced, running through her list of enemies, wondering if this was what it felt like to be poisoned, feeling ridiculous at the direction her own thoughts had taken. She was a housewife, not a Bond villain, but she couldn't help but feel a rapidly spreading sense of panic as she pushed open the door, enjoying the feel of the freezing night air hitting her sickly face.

Vaguely registering both men rushing out of their seats to help her, she defiantly swung her legs out of the car, letting her bare feet hit the tarmac before either of them were even out of the car.

"Honestly! I'm in a nightgown!" She grumbled, eyes darting around the parking lot like she was going to see someone she knew, as she pulled herself out of the car, lurching to her feet unsteadily. Her vision swam and she reached down to pull at the fabric to make a point about them not bothering to grab a single coat between them, before her eyes landed on something that distracted her and the words died in her throat. Three small spots of red were marring the bright white fabric of her nightdress, just above the knee, and she frowned at them, just as Alex rounded the car, his eyes wide as he took them in aswell. Their eyes met for a split second, wearing matching horrified, frightened expressions.

"Alex?" She started, in a small, terrified voice, before her knees went out from under her, her vision blurring as she figured out what was happening to her. The last thing she was aware of was Alex's arms catching her as she fell, before her world faded to black.


	27. Chapter 27

Norma Louise Bates had been awake for some time now, but she refused to let on. It all made sense now - The nausea she had attributed to anxiety over telling Norman the truth, the insatiable need for Alex's touch this past week, coupled with the endless tears over everything and anything. She replayed the last few moments before she had blacked out over and over in her head, doing her best to stay perfectly still as a single tear seeped from under her closed eyelid. Her hand was tightly clutched in someone's hands, and she wondered if it was Alex's or Norman's until Norman's voice piped up from the other side of the room.

"Why isn't she waking up?" He said, sounding like a scared child again.

"Shh, Norman. Let her sleep." Alex said, his tone not as unkind as Norma would have expected.

"But why?" Norman whined, from where she guessed he was sulking in the corner of the room. "Why won't anyone tell me what's wrong?"

She heard Alex sigh next to her, his thumb tapping nervously against the back of her hand.

There was a long pause, and Norma nearly opened her eyes to figure out what was happening before Alex spoke again, very softly so as not to wake her.

"She's going to be fine, Norman. That's all that matters."

"But-" Norman started, and Norma could hear the threat of tears in his voice, even if Alex couldn't. "I just don't understand." His voice cracked and Norma couldn't stop her eyes from fluttering open, ready to comfort him, just as Alex turned away from her, releasing her hand suddenly. She watched as Alex crossed the room to where Norman was stood with his shoulders hunched forward and for a second, she thought he was going to hit him, surprised when just stopped directly in front of him. Neither of them were watching her now, so she was free to watch as Alex's hand came up to clap Norman lightly on the arm, a deeply uncomfortable act of man-comforting.

"You think I did something. That I hurt her, don't you? That's why you won't tell me." Norman's voice was thick with tears as he dug his hands in his pockets, his shoulders shaking.

"No. I don't. I know you didn't hurt her, ok?" Alex spoke quietly, a slight note of panic in his voice as he watched the boy cry.

"She's my mother and no-one will tell me what's wrong with her!" He sobbed out desperately, pushing ineffectually at Romero's shoulders, lashing out uselessly.

"I can't tell you right now, Norman. Norman! Look at me. She's ok!" He flailed, trying to avoid Norman's hopeless little shoves, eventually giving up and pulling him in for an awkward hug. "She's ok." He repeated gently, and the sudden silence in the room gave Norma away, as she let out an unintentional sob at the sight of Alex pulling Norman in for their clumsy hug.

They sprung apart, like they'd been caught being nice to each other, and didn't want her to know, before both rushing over to her bedside.

"Mother?" Norman choked out, his broken tone triggering a fresh wave of tears from Norma, who covered her face with her hands, overwhelmed by everything she was feeling.

"Norman, go and get the doctor."

"But-"

"Go and get the doctor!" Alex snapped, apparently learning how to deal with Norman fast.

Norma heard the door snap shut and felt Alex try to pull her hands away from her face. She resisted, not ready to face him yet, sobbing hysterically, unable to stop.

"It's ok, it's ok." He murmured, over and over, and it wasn't ok. It never was and she was sick of it. She was sick of him having to comfort her through yet another emotional crisis. It wasn't fair. Why did everything have to end like this? With her crying her eyes out, and him having to pick up the pieces? She wept till she didn't have the energy to fight him any more, letting him pull her against him, pressing his hand against the back of her neck, her tears soaking into his shirt.

"I'm so sorry." She blubbed, her words muffled against his chest, as her sobs subsided slightly into hiccups. He pulled her back to look at her, brushing her hair away from her face.

"What for?" He seemed genuinely confused, and she bit her lip to stop from wailing, as her shaky hand patted her stomach, glancing down then back up at him.

"It's ok." He said, casually, and her mouth dropped open, shocked at his cavalier attitude. She knew it hadn't been something they had planned, but she still expected him to be at least half as devastated as she felt. He watched her for a moment, confused, before he gasped, a smile spreading over his face as his thumbs brushed her tears away.

"No, I mean, it's ok." He nodded at her stomach. "He, she, it. It's ok." He clarified, smiling shakily at her as fresh tears sprang to her eyes, this time of relief. Her hand unconsciously moved to her belly, a protective move she couldn't help, as she shed delighted tears.

"I thought..."

"Shhh." He pulled her in for another hug, cutting off the thought before she could voice it. He had had the same fears when he had seen those tiny, terrifying dots of blood on her gown, their eyes meeting, both realising the same thing before she had fainted in his arms. He pushed the thought from his mind. They were fine. They were going to be fine.

She had a sudden thought and sniffled, leaning back a little to fix him with an inquiring stare.

"Are you happy?" She whispered, biting her lip.

He smiled tearfully at her, his hand sliding to cover hers where it rested on her belly, springing forward to press a soft kiss against her lips.

"I'm happy." He clarified, as they both laughed breathlessly.

"Mrs Romero?" There was a tentative knock on the door as the doctor poked her head in, obviously disturbing a tender moment.

"It's Bates." She said automatically, earning a snort from Alex.

"Oh, I'm sorry." Her eyes glanced down at the file in her hands. "Your son came to get me. I see your husband has already broken the news. Congratulations!"

They grinned back at her, both sniffling slightly.

"So, I'd like to talk to you a little about what happened today. It's nothing to worry about - Just some spotting. We just have to be careful because of your age-" She took a step forward, and Norma and Alex both gasped at the same time as Norma was revealed standing right behind her, silhouetted in the doorway. His mouth was hanging open, his face pale and before anyone could speak, he had bolted, his shoes squeaking as he sprinted along the corridor away from the worst news he could imagine.

Norman had found his way home a few hours later, walking into the living room like a nervous ball of energy, panting heavily as if he had run there.

"Norman! We've been so worried-"

He held a hand up to stop her, before pacing back and forth a few times, then plonking himself down on the sofa, regarding them both strangely.

No-one said anything for a moment, and his eyes focused on Alex's hand on his mother's knee, avoiding their worried, curious eye contact.

"You're too old to have a baby." He had said childishly, after a long, uncomfortable pause.

"Norman." She chastised him gently, slightly offended. "I'm not that old, you know."

Alex squeezed her knee reassuringly and Norman's gaze narrowed.

"I just have to take it easy, make sure I eat properly, get lots of rest." She took a deep breath, trying to steady herself, not sure how Norman was taking the news. "I could use your help with the motel."

"I'm going to go and call Doctor Edwards." He announced suddenly, springing to his feet and leaving the room.

He came back half an hour later, visibly calmer, and sat down, folding his hands into his lap.

"I'm sorry for how I reacted before." He said calmly, evenly. "I was surprised and I was- I felt upset that you had kept it from me." He took a deep breath, and Norma was once again thankful for the miracle that was Doctor Edwards.

"And how do you feel now?" Alex said, softly. Norman's gaze darted to him, fixing him with an icy stare.

"Doctor Edwards wants me to be honest. So... I'm angry. And I'm... jealous." He forced the word out like it pained him to say it. Norma's hand reached for Alex's, squeezing it desperately.

"But... I'm also... happy for you." Norman spat the words out, like he was trying to convince himself more than anyone. "I want you to be happy." He added, his gaze fixed on Norma, sounding more sincere there.

"I'm... pleased for you." He rose from his chair suddenly and they both flinched. He crossed the room and Alex leaned forward protectively, as Norma shrank back a little.

"Congratulations." He said softly, his eyes a little sad, as he leaned down to press a peck against his mother's cheek. She smiled up at him, her eyes shining with unshed tears, before he turned to Alex, fixing him with a tight smile.

"Sheriff." He nodded stiffly, reaching out to shake his hand, and it was literally the best case scenario they could have hoped for. Norma looked deliriously happy as she looked on, watching the handshake as if it was the most beautiful thing she'd ever seen.

He was halfway across the room, apparently exhausted by all of this opening up and honestly malarky, when he paused in the doorway, turning back to face them.

"Oh, I'll be going to live with Dylan, by the way." He held up his hand before either of them could speak. "Please don't dissolve into hysterics, mother. Think of the baby." He said warmly, watching as her hand came up of it's own will to pat her stomach. "I just think it's for the best. Besides, I couldn't live here with a newborn. I get crazy without my eight hours." He smirked at them and then left, leaving them in a shocked silence.

"That literally could not have gone any better." Alex said finally, turning to look at Norma, sighing when he noticed she was crying again. She'd always been emotional, but her hormones were in overdrive and she seemed to be crying more often than not at the moment.

Her bottom lip trembled ridiculously as the tears came and her face crumpled.

"He shook your hand!" She eventually sobbed out, letting him pull her into his arms, his hands running up and down her back.

"You're absurd." He muttered, laughing as she punched him weakly.


	28. Chapter 28

Alex smelt blood. It was a strange sensation, to be aware of that metallic coppery scent filling his nostrils while he was still mostly asleep. He blinked his eyes open slowly, before letting them drift shut again, trying to figure exactly what it was that he was breathing in, recognising the scent with a gasp. It was blood. Alot of it.

He rolled over, fear flooding through him as he threw back the covers, gasping brokenly when he saw the huge patch of dark crimson staining her nightgown, the sheets, the mattress. It was everywhere, it was all over him, but he didn't care. The baby...

"No, no, no." He ground out, rolling back over to the nightstand, searching wildly for his phone, tears filling his eyes. She'd be devastated. HE was devastated, feeling tears begin to fall, as he searched desperately for his phone.

"No. No..." He breathed out brokenly, slamming his hand down on the table where he knew he'd left his phone the night before, letting out his rage and helpless, hopeless anger onto the dresser.

"Fuck!" He sobbed out, punching his fist into the wood weakly, terrified to look at her, scared to witness the broken expression on her face. "I'm so sorry honey." He started, as he rolled back over, casting his eyes up to her face, finding her staring blankly up at the ceiling. She was still, too still and he reached out for her, feeling her ice cold skin under his fingers.

"Norma? Hey! Hey! Don't do this. Wake up!" He choked out frantically, pulling her onto his lap, his fingers searching for a pulse, finding none, her body limp and freezing in his arms.

"Please... Please, wake up... Baby?" He pressed his hand against the dark stain that stood out so horrifically against the stark white of her nightdress, frowning as he realised it was too high. It was up around her abdomen, not between her legs and he gasped, reaching one stained red hand over to flick on the light, trying to figure out what was happening.

Light flooded the room, illuminating the small figure huddled by the bed. Leaning over the pale corpse of his wife, his eyes landed on Norman's terrified face, lifting up from where he was hugging his knees against his chest, his face streaked with tears.

"Norman?" He gasped, confused, as the boy stared at him helplessly, sobbing hard, his eyes flicking from Alex's tearful face, to his mother's cold dead stare and back again.

"I... I thought she was you." He choked out, and Alex frowned, not sure he'd heard him right, until he lifted one hand from where it was wrapped around his knees, a blood covered kitchen knife dropping limply from his numb fingers. He held his crimson stained hands out to Alex, like a child looking for help.

"I thought she was you." He said again, and Alex just tightened his grip around Norma's body, not daring to let go for what he might do if he didn't try and hold on to the last of her grounding presence.

"The man always sleeps closest to the door." Norman explained slowly, through his sobs and Alex frowned at him, cocking his head at him in disbelief.

"See!" A voice came muffled from against his chest and he pulled back to see her staring up at him with those glassy, pale blue eyes, her skin still deathly pale, but her lips curling into a smug smile. "I told you!"

He let go of her, backing up across the bed a few inches, scrubbing his hands across his eyes in shock as she smiled up at him, her body flopping like a rag doll when he let her go. When he opened his eyes again, she was gone, her blonde hair and pale skin replaced with long dark brown waves and tanned olive skin.

"Mom?" He whispered, freezing as he reached for her. She was wearing the same white nightgown as Norma, but the stains were different now, her abdomen clear. This time, the dark ruby stains were around her wrists, soaking into the sides of her dress, spreading out in wide red pools either side of her. She was smiling gently at him, and he smiled back out of habit, before she gazed at something over his shoulder and a wide, beaming grin broke out across her face. One dripping red hand raised up, pointing at something outside the window.

"Look honey. It's that bird you saved!" She trilled, and he began to turn, his eyes almost landing on the window, when he woke with a start, sitting up abruptly, casting his eyes to the window. There was nothing there, just the closed curtains, thicker, more opaque curtains he had protectively bought for her the day he'd moved in. They were still, the windows closed against the cold of the winter's air, the light from the moon filtering in slightly through the fairly thick fabric.

He glanced over his shoulder to where Norma stirred lightly in her sleep, her skin glowing, her hair gleaming almost silver in the pale moonlight. He panted, trying to slow his breathing, trying desperately to rid his mind of the images from his dream, watching her wriggle her nose adorably in her sleep.

She was most definitely alive, stirring gently as he watched her, her breathing slow and deep, but he couldn't resist inching the covers down, eventually yanking them down in a panic when they got caught on her hands. He rose up on his knees, pulling the covers away from her completely, breathing out a sigh of relief when there was no blood, no red stain marring her pale skin or the baby blue of the strappy nightie she was wearing. She shivered a little and he immediately felt guilty for uncovering her, but he couldn't resist pressing his hands against her abdomen for a second, trying to imagine the little life she was incubating in there.

"Alex, I'm asleep." She complained grumpily, her eyes remaining closed, her hands covering his own where they lay against her stomach. "But ok." She smiled, misreading his intention, sliding his hands up to cup her breasts, reaching up to pull him down on top of her.

"Honestly!" She muttered, as if she were scandalised by his actions. "Waking a pregnant woman in the middle of the night for sex. You brute." She giggled sleepily, hooking one leg behind him, freezing when she realised he wasn't moving, his hands sliding limply from her chest to hold his weight off her. Her eyes blinked open and she frowned up at him.

"What's wrong?" She muttered, her hands gently stroking the back of his hair. He shook his head, not able to verbalise it, feeling ridiculous as he shook in her arms. "Alex. Come on. What's happened? Are you ok?"

She took his face in her hands, looking up at him intently, fully awake now.

"I just... I had a bad dream." He said in a small voice, like a child, and he instantly felt pathetic. How was this woman supposed to trust him to protect her, when he couldn't protect himself from his own nightmares? She nodded back at him seriously, her expression softening.

"Do you wanna talk about it?"

He shook his head immediately, and he lowered his weight slightly to her side, feeling her wrap her arms soothingly around his neck.

"It's ok." She whispered gently, and he slithered down her body, pressing an innocent kiss against her chest, before nuzzling his nose against the satin of her nightdress, resting his head on her stomach.

"Is this ok? Am I too heavy?" He asked quietly, his arm curling up around her waist, using her belly as a pillow. Her hands drifted to run through his hair, smiling in confusion as he settled himself.

"No. You're fine." She breathed out, biting her lip to suppress a tiny happy sob when he pressed a soft kiss against her belly, his hand stroking up and down the curve of her waist.

They lay like that for a long time, stroking and petting each other very gently, until their hands slowed to a stop, their breathing evening out.

"Norma?"

"Mm?

"Can I sleep on that side from now on?" She frowned, taking a long, tired, half asleep breath.

"Alex...?" She started, sounded mildly annoyed.

"Please?" He sounded so small and frightened and she knew it was only because he was half asleep but something in the broken way he begged her frightened her. She couldn't bear him being sad, even if she didn't understand why.

"Ok." She whispered, feeling him wriggle back up her body, just as the weight of his head was starting to become uncomfortable. He rolled her over his body and she was only mildly annoyed at his actions, snuggling into his arms as he wrapped them around her, pulling her against his chest.

"Ok." He echoed back to her, feeling much happier, before falling back asleep, his contented breathing lulling her back to sleep with him.


	29. Chapter 29

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> MAJOR NON-CON TRIGGER WARNING!
> 
> Like, genuinely this is SOOOOO dark and upsetting. It upset me to write it. It's VERY harrowing so I wouldn't blame anyone if they wanted to give the upsetting part a miss. That part is the part between the two lines, and, at the bottom of the chapter, in the author's notes, I'm going to put a brief summary of what happens, so you can just read that instead if you want, because I don't want anyone to miss out on the plot because they don't want to read something horrible. Spoiler alert - It's not a miscarriage.

Alex was lying on his back, his arm wrapped around Norma, her head resting on his chest. It was one of their usual positions they fell asleep in, but tonight, something was different. She kept puffing out sad little sighs against his chest, her fingers twitching where they lay entwined with his against his stomach. She'd seemed distracted all night, spending a long time quietly talking with Norman as they tinkled around on the piano together, while he watched the game on the smallest TV in the world. He'd glanced over a few times to find them deep in conversation, occasionally shooting him furtive glances that he pretended not to notice. Surreptitiously knocking the volume down on the game, he'd still not been able to hear their conversation, silently chastising himself for trying to eavesdrop.

Still, he had felt the tension that, in truth, had been laying just under the surface ever since Norman had come home. Despite living with Dylan now, he seemed to be in the house almost all of the time, and Alex fought hard to keep his jealousy at bay, watching Norman desperately cling to Norma's attention, both men selfishly wanting her all to themselves.

"What's wrong?" He asked eventually, when it became apparent that she wasn't going to tell him what was upsetting her.

"Norman thinks you hate him." She said immediately, like the words had been ready to go for a while now.

Alex huffed out a surprised breath, his thumb's gentle circles around the back of her hand ceasing for a second before starting again.

"Well, Norman is wrong."

"Is he?" She asked accusingly, and he slid her hand up his chest, giving it a reassuring squeeze.

"Yes." He said seriously. "I don't hate Norman. I like Norman." He wasn't lying, not exactly, but the words sounded false even to his own ears and he sighed heavily before speaking again. "I sometimes... I'm not sure I entirely trust Norman." He finished, honestly, hating that she tensed in his arms, as if preparing to sit up and move away from him. He tightened his grip around her, and took a deep breath, trying to explain himself before she shut down the walls that he'd been breaking down so so carefully.

"I know he loves you. And I don't think he's a bad kid. I really don't." He strived to sound sincere. He meant what he was saying. He had always liked Norman, but there were some things he couldn't forget. "But... I can't forget that voicemail you left me."

He heard her gasp slightly, and carried on, his voice low and quiet, murmuring against the top of her head.

"You were afraid of him-" He felt her open to mouth to speak, cutting her off before she could. "-Don't." He interrupted gently. "You were. I heard it in your voice. You were scared of him. It sounded like you were saying goodbye." His voice cracked a little as he remembered listening to it, cursing himself for leaving his phone on silent, his blood running cold, feeling like he was going to pass out right there in the station. "That voicemail terrified me." He finished in a small voice, feeling her nuzzle her nose against his chest reassuringly.

"He's better now." She said quietly after a long, shaky pause.

He sighed, not knowing what to say.

"I know. I know. But it's hard to forget that."

There was a long silence, where she just nodded lightly, and he pulled her hand up close to him to play with her fingers, the way he always did when he held her hand. He always seemed so fascinated with her hands, wondering how those long slender fingers could work so hard, yet remain so soft and delicate-looking.

"I don't think he likes me very much." Alex said finally, feeling ridiculous as he said it.

She didn't disagree entirely, but tried to reassure him nonetheless.

"He's just... It's always been me and him. Just me and him. He feels like he has to protect me."

He puffed out a soft laugh, his hands still toying with her fingers, stroking down the length of each one, examining them and then starting again.

"From me? Big bad me?"

She sighed, not laughing and he felt he'd said the wrong thing.

She twitched her hand and his fingers stilled. She flattened her hand out, turning the palm towards him.

"I'm going to tell you how I got his scar." She flexed her palm, the faint silvery line of scarred skin just visible through the darkness. He'd noticed it before, but never thought anything of it. His own body was covered in tiny scars, and, despite having a dangerous job and and even more dangerous father, most were simply reminders of a clumsy, playful childhood. He had quietly hoped hers was the same. He stroked along the length of the small scar, waiting patiently as she took a shaky breath.

"I'm going to tell you because I think you need to know, and then we wont talk about any of this ever again."

He felt his body run cold, felt his breath hitch in his throat as he realised this was no childhood injury. He didn't want her to tell him, but the thought was selfish and, on some level, he wanted to know everything, all of it, so that, in some way, he could suffer like she did. He wanted to share her pain, take some of the burden that she'd been carrying around alone for so many years.

She sat up abruptly, pulling herself out of his arms and moving to sit cross legged next to him. He shuffled up the headboard, feeling his heart pound in his chest as he watched her visibly sag under the memory of whatever she was about to tell him, shakily touching the scar like it still hurt to touch it.

"Sam wasn't always violent." She said finally and his eyes drifted shut. He had been wondering whether she was about to tell him about Sam or Caleb. On some level, it was better that it was Sam, because another mention of Caleb might have had him pulling some strings to find him and put a bullet in him before he could see reason and he knew that wasn't what Norma wanted. Any mention of Sam gave him this helpless sense of rage though, because he was already dead and there was nothing he could do.

"He went out one night... He got drunk - He always drank alot - and I'd waited up for him because I used to worry back then."

Alex's heart broke at the idea of Norma waiting up late, worrying about her beloved husband getting home safely.

She shuddered slightly, pulling the cover up around herself though the night wasn't really cold.

"I was really sick. Just a head cold, but one of those really nasty ones, you know? The one's that really take it out of you. I sent Dylan to stay at a friend's house." She lowered her tone, her expression full of tortured guilt. "I said it was to stop him getting sick, but, to be honest, I took any excuse to get him out of the house. I couldn't stand the way he glared at me."

She rubbed at her wrist awkwardly, looking up to see Alex looking at her kindly. If she had been expecting him to judge her for that small admission, she'd been wrong. He would never blame her for the things she did in her past. From everything she'd told him, he wasn't sure how she'd survived.

She shook herself, her voice a little stronger now.

"So, he came home, stinking drunk. And we... argued... It was the first time he'd ever hit me. I mean, he'd slapped me before but nothing serious."

Alex felt physically sick that there had been a time in her life where she counted being slapped as "nothing serious." He watched as she hugged her knees up to her chest, closing her eyes as she remembered...

(Trigger warning)

"Where the hell have you been?"

"Out. I been out. So what?" He tried to hang his keys up, missing the hook in his drunken state.

"So I've been sitting here waiting for you!" She snapped, blowing her nose, wrapping her blanket more firmly round her shoulders. "Are you drunk?"

He didn't answer, just slipped his coat off ungracefully, dropping it to the floor in an untidy heap.

She tutted, lunging forwards to grab it.

"Sam-" She started quietly, chastising him for something she'd nagged him about a million times, cut off when he grabbed her roughly from behind. She tried to straighten up, his coat in her hands, but he pressed one hand against her back, holding her down, the other squeezing her hip too hard.

She let out a breathless, nervous laugh.

"Sam? Stop it..." She breathed out, relieved when he removed his hands, letting her straighten up, stretching her aching muscles. Her relief only lasted for a second though, as he spun her round, shoving her up against the kitchen counter, his lips pressing sloppily against hers.

"What are you doing?" She squeaked, trying to pull away from his mouth. "Stop! You're gonna get sick!" She warned, using the words as an excuse, trying desperately to squirm away from his groping hands that were snaking under her blanket.

"I don't care." He grunted. "I want you." He muttered, and for a second, he sounded like the old Sam, the one who had seduced her away from her simple, boring first husband, the one who had seemed so dangerous and exciting and passionate. "I want you now." He broke the spell, ripping the blanket from around her, throwing it to the ground, leaving her shivering in the cold of the unheated house.

"Sam! Stop! I'm sick." She protested weakly, as he roughly lifted her off her feet, spinning them round to deposit her on the kitchen table, which groaned under her weight.

"Wait! Come on. I'm too sick. I'm cold." She muttered, one arm wrapping around herself, the other trying to push him away from her as his hands dug hard into her thighs, his lips pressing wetly against her neck.

"I'll warm you up, baby." He slurred into her ear and she shivered, both from the cold and from revulsion. She reared her head back, leaning away from him, both hands pushing hard on his chest and he finally looked at her.

"No. No! I don't want to." She said firmly, pleased with how strong her voice sounded, despite being so sick, rubbing her hand under her nose in an unladylike fashion. He dropped his gaze to the floor for a minute, and for a second, she thought he was feeling guilt. But then he looked back up at her, his bleary eyes full of rage and she shrank back a little.

"No?" He asked quietly. "You're tellin' me no?" His voice was low and menacing. She would have preferred shouting.

"Yeah, I'm saying no." She said definitively, her voice full of false bravado as his hands very slowly starting tightening their vice-like grip around her thighs. She pulled in a shaky breath as it started to hurt. "Stop it." She said quietly, her voice breaking.

"You're gonna say no... to your husband? To the man who puts bread on this table? To the man raising a kid who aint even mine?" His voice was still quiet and dangerous, only rising a little at the end of his sentence. She squeaked, trying to squirm away from his punishing grip, her words dying in her throat.

"You're hurting me." She whimpered out eventually, relieved when he immediately released her, leaving angry red handprints against her skin.

"Good! Cause you're hurting me, Norma!" He yelled harshly, like he was some victim in all this.

"You're hurtin' my feelings, babe." He said, lowering his tone again, reaching out to wipe an errant tear from her cheek, frowning angrily when she flinched away from his touch.

"I'm sorry." She breathed out, sniffling hard, feeling pathetic. She shook herself, wiping under her eyes, straightening up a little where she was perched on the table. "But I don't want to." She said quietly, trying to keep her tone soft, trying to reason with him. "Norman's just in the next room, and I'm so sick, and you're drunk, baby-"

She was cut off as his fist made contact with the side of her face, pain blossoming through her cheekbone, knocking her sideways onto the table. Her hand flew out to stop herself, knocking over a glass in the process, hearing it smash as it landed heavily on the edge of a plate from dinner.

Before she could catch her breath, her hand raising shakily to cup her cheek, which throbbed with pain, his hands were gripping her hips, sliding her off the edge and then flipping her over, bending her over the table.

"Sam!" She sobbed out, thrashing her legs out wildly, trying to get him off her. He'd been rough with her before, but this was something else entirely and her whole body tensed with panic and fear, her breaths coming out shallow and fast as she gasped for air, his hand pressing her too hard against the table top. One hand still holding her down, the other scrunched up her nightie, before she heard him fumbling to undo his belt, her desperate cries increasing at the sound. "Stop! Please..."

"Mother?" A tiny voice rang out from the doorway to the kitchen and both her and Sam froze. His hands moved to her shoulders, and he pulled her up, using her as a shield to cover the fact that his jeans were already down by his ankles.

Her mouth flapped open wordlessly, not knowing what to say as her five year old stood, rubbing his eyes sleepily, staring at them in confusion.

"Tell him to go back to bed." He ground the words out quietly in her ear, and she sniffled, wiping her hand across her face, wincing as she brushed against her throbbing cheek.

"Go back to bed, honey." She murmured shakily, trying to rearrange her face into a smile.

"What are you doing?" He asked curiously, cocking his head to the side, and Sam growled angrily in response, digging his fingers in tighter to her shoulders.

"Tell him we're playing a game or something." He slurred, grinding himself against her ass as he spoke, as if his son wasn't standing across the room.

"I just fell over and daddy was helping me." She trilled brightly, trying to keep the revulsion off her face as one hand drifted back down to her thigh, apparently completely bored by Norman's presence. Norman's face smoothed out, apparently appeased by her answer, the darkness apparently covering enough of their appearance to not give him any cause for concern.

"Ok." He replied simply, meeting his mother's eyes for a second, looking slightly startled as a car went by, the headlights lighting up the room for a moment. He shot her a strange, sad look that made him seem older and more worldly than his five years and she flashed her eyes back at him, desperately trying to warn him. It was ridiculous, of course - He was five. The unspoken nuances of non-verbal communication were bound to be lost on him, even if he did realise there was anything wrong. She hoped his innocent little mind wouldn't figure out she was in trouble.

"Ok honey. Why don't you go back to bed? Start thinking about what you want me to make you for breakfast." She breathed out, the words tumbling out too fast as Sam's fingers pressed against her hip, grinding his erection against her ass, growing impatient with waiting.

"Ok. Can I have pancakes?" He started sweetly, as she started to feel Sam's hand pressing against her shoulder, trying to push her down again.

"NORMAN! Go to bed!" She shouted out harshly, watching as the little boy jumped, flinching at her loud tone, the one she usually only reserved for Sam, or Dylan on the very rare occasion. She never shouted at Norman, not like that, and she watched the hurt flicker across his little face before he scampered away, hearing his bedroom door slam like he was a teenager not a toddler. It hurt to shout at him that way, but she would rather have him hate her for a day or two than bear witness to what was happening.

The second the door banged shut, Sam slammed her face down against the table, his hands pulling her nightie up again and she squirmed, silently crying as she tried to wriggle away, knowing it would do no good.

"Please, Sam!" She whispered, wary that Norman would still be awake. "Please, please don't do this." She sobbed out quietly, her hands scrabbling against the surface, looking for purchase to push herself up. "We can't come back from this." She tried to explain. She had forgiven alot over the years - Cheating and gambling and harsh words and arguments ending with slaps that he always looked like he regretted so much. But this? This was It - This was the day she'd stop loving him, stop forgiving him. They couldn't come back from this.

But he either didn't hear her or didn't care, and then it was too late. She stopped loving him in that split second. Any shred of care or compassion she had had for him disappeared in an instant, replaced with only pure hatred. She bit her lip as she sobbed silently, her forehead banging against the plastic table top. She couldn't let Norman hear. He couldn't see.

"I love you." He grunted out against her shoulder and she let out a sob before she could stop herself. She didn't say anything back. There was nothing to say. She just resigned herself to it, going limp against the surface, feeling the sharp edge of the table cutting into her thighs with every thrust.

"Tell me you love me." He demanded, quickening his pace, earning a trembling cry.

"No." She whispered defiantly, gasping as his hand drifted from her back to around throat, squeezing. She jerked as his hand tightened a little, his drunken rage controlling him and she panicked, her hands flailing out wildly. Her hand landed heavily on a piece of broken glass on the table, letting out a strangled scream as the glass cut into her palm, feeling her blood spilling out straight away. He either didn't notice or didn't care, his grip tightening, growling down at her, as black spots started to swim in front of her vision. She couldn't let him kill her. There would be no-one left to protect Norman, or Dylan, sullen little Dylan who hated her so much, and the thought of never seeing his scowling little face again made her cry even harder as she gasped for air.

"Ok, ok. I love you!" She choked out. "I love you." She sobbed with relief, instantly feeling his hand loosen, and then it was over. He slammed into her one last time with a strangled groan and then he was done and she lay there still for a moment, watching the blood pour from her hand onto the yellow plastic, her entire body aching so much that she couldn't even pinpoint the pain in her hand. The thought scared her, but she couldn't will herself to move, not even as she felt him move away from her, zipping himself up, taking a few shaky steps back.

"Fuck." He breathed out, sounding shocked and alarmed, no doubt taking in the scene before him, fully realising what he'd done. "I'm sor-" For a second, she thought he was beginning to say sorry, the words barely audible through his slurring tone, but then he stopped himself and whatever he was about to say remained unsaid.

He left without another word, grabbing his keys and sweeping out of the house on unsteady feet. It was only when she heard the engine start that all the tension left her body and she slid to the floor, her trembling legs giving up on her, curling in on her self, desperately trying to keep the sobs that wracked her body silent. Numbly, she registered that she had slipped into shock but she couldn't will herself out of it, her breathing shallowing as she hyperventilated, her whole body shaking violently, cradling her injured hand against her chest, unable to summon the strength to treat it.

She didn't know how long she lay there, propped up against the table leg, her dazed eyes watching her blood drip out onto the linoleum when a small hand reached out to touch her knee and she flinched.

"Mama..?"

"It was Norman who found me." She choked out, her tears falling freely now. "He... He'd seen everything." She sobbed out, and Alex's hand flew to his cover his mouth in horror. "He brought me the first aid box and fixed up my hand. I should have got stitches really, but... I didn't. He just cleaned it up and bandaged it with Barney bandaids because it was all we had. He cleaned everything up because I couldn't."

She turned her face away, ashamed, remembering the way he'd dragged the little stool to the freezer, grabbing her a bag of frozen peas to press against her swollen cheekbone, before grabbing a broom, looking absurdly tiny as he struggled to sweep up the broken glass. She'd been frozen in place, watching him, knowing she shouldn't let him help her. He was so small, so young - She had no right to ask him for his help, but she hurt so bad, and her traitorous limbs just wouldn't do what she wanted them to. So she'd just cried silently, watching as he tottered around the room, looking strangely resigned to his task like he always knew it would come to this, before grabbing the blanket and tucking it around her, clambering into her lap and cuddling her while she wept.

"He never saw it again." She clarified quickly, feeling the shame burn her cheeks as she took in Alex's horrified expression. "I made sure of that. It was just that one time." The words tumbled out, knowing it probably wasn't 100% the truth, but she was feeling like he was judging her for letting her child clean up the aftermath of something like that. "I know he was too young. But I couldn't... I just couldn't-"

Her voice broke off into ragged sobs, as he pulled her towards him, letting her clamber onto his lap, her thighs straddling his legs, her arms wrapping around him. It was a position that would have been sexual any other time, but not today. Today, it was just a way to get as close to each other as possible, pressing her wet face against his neck, his arms gently folding around her, holding her tightly against him.

"I'm so sorry." He breathed out into her hair, feeling guiltier than ever for ever trying to have sex with her on that damn fornica table. The table was different, but her fear had been the same. It was weeks ago now, but her panic attack made more sense than ever now, as she wept in his arms. She cried like that for a long time, and he tried to swallow the guilt he was feeling. It wasn't his fault. It wasn't her fault.

She took a deep breath, pulling back to gaze at him, tilting her head to the side to gaze at him curiously. Her hand drifted to his face, her thumb brushing away a single tear that had escaped from his long lashes. He didn't realise he had been crying till she did that, too caught up in her own sorrow and terror to realise how listening to her had affected him. He watched as she shot him a shaky smile through her tears, both of them wiping each other's tears away.

"I didn't mean to make you sad." She breathed out softly, and he breathed a slightly exasperated laugh out. She was always worrying about someone other than herself.

"I didn't tell you to make you... I just wanted to..." She struggled to find the words, sitting back heavily on his legs, their hands intertwining against his chest. "I just wanted you to understand. It's always been me and him. He's always been there. He's always been there to protect me."

Alex nodded, realising what she was getting at. She unconsciously pulled one of their sets of entwined hands against her stomach, pressing it against where their child was growing. He noticed she did that alot, pressing his hand against the slight swell of her stomach without thinking, and he could never stop the smile, always amused that she seemed to have no idea she was doing it.

"Do you understand now? Everything that he'd been through, everything that he'd seen - That's why he is the way he is now. He doesn't trust anyone around me."

"He can trust me." He said softly, his hands darting to where their hands were wrapped around each other then back up to her gentle smile.

"I know that." She murmured, almost rolling her eyes at him.

"I'll try harder with him." He nodded at her, feeling her weight sag in relief as she breathed out a happy sigh. "I'll make him trust me."

He pulled her free hand up to his face, turning it over and pressing a soft kiss against the silvery white scar that marred her palm.

"I promise."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Summary of the middle, flashback part of the chapter, for those who didn't want to read it: Sam comes home drunk and begins to force himself on Norma. Five year old Norman interrupts and Norma yells at him to get him to go back to bed, and then Sam carries on, and Norma tries to be silent, so Norman doesn't hear. She cuts her hand on some broken glass during the struggle and, after Sam leaves, slips into shock. Norman finds her.


	30. Chapter 30

"Morning."

Norma glanced up to see Norman standing in the doorway, his gaze only focused on her, like Alex wasn't sitting at the kitchen table.

"Morning honey." She said sweetly, glancing pointedly at Alex who folded his paper up, clearing his throat awkwardly.

"Good morning, Norman." He said formally, like they had never spoken before.

"Sheriff." Norman nodded at him with mock formality. He'd promised his mother he'd be civil and that was all he was prepared to be.

"Coffee?" Alex sprung up, rushing towards the coffee maker, glancing over his shoulder to see Norman glaring at him curiously.

"I can do it-" He started, his tone confused as he stepped forward, watching as his mother's husband bustled around, pouring him a cup, adding cream and then reaching for the sugar. Norma shook her head, holding a hand up to stop him.

"Uh uh. No sugar. He's-"

"sweet enough." Norman finished for her, smiling as they spoke the words she'd said so many times to each other. Alex chuckled awkwardly, nodding and reaching over to slide the coffee to Norman like it was some great prize.

"Thanks." Norman muttered, the smile dropping from his face like it hurt him to be polite for more than a second.

"You and Alex are going fishing today!" Norma blurted out brightly, as she slid a plate of eggs in front of both men, smiling a little too widely at Norman as his expression darkened.

"Oh, are we?" He raised his eyebrows at Alex, who shrugged back. "And do I get a say on this?"

"Of course-" Alex started, feeling mildly relieved that Norman didn't want to go. He didn't want to go either.

"No!" She snapped, slamming her own plate of eggs down and sliding angrily into her seat. "You're going and that's final."

Norman opened his mouth to speak again, before resting his head on his hand, frowning unhappily at his eggs. "Are you coming with us?" He perked up at the thought. Alex glanced up, hoping against hope she might say yes.

She placed her fork down, rolling her eyes at him.

"I can't go fishing, Norman." She stated simply, as if he was the stupidest person in the whole world. "I'm pregnant." She clarified, as if that made any sense, like he'd invited her to play contact football, not sit quietly round a lake. Neither Norman nor Alex knew how fragile (or not) pregnancy actually made a woman though, and both nodded seriously, as if she was making complete sense.

"You want a beer?"

Alex held out a beer from the coolbox he had brought with them, watching as Norma glared at it haughtily.

"I wont tell your mom." He said, waggling the bottle a little.

"I can't drink. I'm on medication." Norman snapped, turning his attention back to his line, jerking it with disinterest. There were actually no warnings on his pill bottles about drinking, but Alex didn't need to know that. "And I would have thought a law enforcement official such as yourself would have known better than to offer liquor to an underage boy." Norman said mildly, and Alex puffed out an exasperated laugh, placing the beer back into the coolbox, along with the one he'd got out for himself.

"Yeah, well. Maybe it was a test. And you passed. Congratulations." He said, deadpan, pleased when he saw a tiny quirk of a smile tug at Norman's lips.

The silence descended upon them again and Alex shifted uncomfortably in his chair, shooting little glances over at Norman the whole time.

"They're not biting." Norman frowned grumpily at the placid lake.

"Yeah, well sometimes they take a while. That's the beauty of fishing. It's mostly men sitting around a lake for hours on end, talking."

"Oh joy(!)" Norman bit back, rolling his eyes again and Alex laughed gently.

There was another long, uncomfortable silence, where Alex silently prayed for a fish to bite, if only to have something else to focus on other than Norman's mild resentment coming off him in waves, when Norman spoke suddenly, breaking the silence.

"You know, Deputy Shelby took me fishing too." Norman observed lightly, keeping his face neutral.

"Did he now?" Alex nodded back, already seeing where Norman was going with this.

"Yep." He kept his attention on where his lure was bobbing in the tranquil lake, suddenly fascinated with it, pretending not to sense Alex's glare boring into the side of his face. "He was a law enforcement officer too." He started, as if he'd only just thought of this. "Another man in a position of power, whom my mother needed something from. Another man who used that to his advantage-"

"Stop." Alex spoke quietly, holding his hand up, not letting himself be pulled into Norman's little theory.

"And now you're taking me fishing to make yourself feel better. Maybe you and Deputy Shelby have more in common than you think?"

Alex closed his eyes, taking a deep breath, trying to keep his cool, opening his eyes to find Norman glancing at him.

"I am nothing like Zack Shelby." He said calmly. "Zack Shelby was a scumbag who used and hurt women and got what was coming to him. I'm only sorry it was at your brother's hand and not my own." Norman cocked his head at him curiously, clearly not expecting that answer, before he rearranged his face back into his aloof expression, turning away from him again.

"At least he had the sense not to knock her up-" Norman pointed out coolly, and this time Alex was on his feet, freezing as he stood. He desperately wanted to cross those few feet between them and make Norman regret his words, but one look at the smug expression on Norman's face told him that was exactly what he wanted and he sank back down again. His body sagged into the chair, hearing Norman huff out an irritated sigh as Alex rubbed his hand across his eyes, trying desperately to remember why he was here. He imagined Norman, much younger, finding his mother, bleeding and broken on the same kitchen floor where he played with his toys, having to figure out how to help her, for the first of what he imagined were many times throughout his young life. Alex thought his own childhood was traumatic, but it was nothing compared to that.

He looked up to find Norman staring at him, his expression unreadable.

"You didn't mean that." Alex said calmly, as Norman rolled his eyes.

Alex sighed, before carrying on, not wanting to dwell on Norman's harsh words. There was no point - He knew he was just trying to get a rise out of him and he wouldn't play ball. Not today.

"I know you don't like me. And I know you don't trust me. And you have every reason not to." Norman frowned at him, narrowing his eyes mistrustfully like this sudden change of tact was all some trick. "She's... She's told me a little about the other men in her life." Norman's only reaction was the tightening of his jaw, his knuckles white as he gripped the fishing rod hard. "And they were not good men. And I know you were always there for her. To protect her."

"I tried." Norman said, in a small, broken voice, that didn't match the stony expression that was frozen on his face. He was staring at the floor, his eyes wide and glassy and for a second, Alex was afraid he was having another blackout. "I couldn't always do anything."

Alex understood that helpless feeling. Any horrifying admission about her past felt like a stab in the gut, knowing it had already happened. That there was nothing he could do about it now. He nodded, noting how Norman shook himself, trying to rid that haunted look from his eyes. God knows what horrible childhood memory he was reliving.

"You don't need to protect her from me." Alex muttered gently, watching as Norman immediately shook his head, his eyes wild.

"Not yet." He corrected. "You all change eventually." He said, sounding more jaded than he should have been at eighteen. Alex lost the will to be mad at him in that moment.

"Not me. I'm not going to change. I promise you." Alex said seriously, feeling a tug at the end of his lure, releasing the line a little, letting it go on purpose. He didn't care about the fish right now. There was a long silence, where Norman just carried on lightly shaking his head, looking entirely unconvinced.

"I know you killed your father, Norman." Alex whispered, glancing up to see Norman's mouth drop open, his eyes glinting dangerously.

"Did she tell you that?" He muttered angrily.

Alex shook his head, telling the truth, since it was Bob Paris who had told him. Norma had simply confirmed it.

"No. She didn't have to."

Norman sighed heavily, flopping back into his chair like the weight of this secret had been physically crushing him.

"I don't blame you." Alex blurted out. "If someone had been hurting her, I would have done the same."

Norman nodded briefly at him, clearly thinking talk was cheap. It was easy to say you'd do something, harder to actually do it.

"I've killed for her too." Alex said suddenly, and Norman gasped, placing his fishing rod on the floor, giving up on the pretence of catching any fish.

"There was a man, a real nasty son of a bitch, who found out you killed your father, and he was going to use it against her. He was going to blackmail her and I couldn't let him. I couldn't let him hurt your mom."

He chanced a glance up at Norman. He was staring right at him, his eyes wide and wild, his whole body frozen as he listened.

"So I lured him out on his own boat, and I shot him three times and I sank the boat with his body on it."

Norman blinked slowly a few times, casting his gaze to the sandy bank and then back up at Alex, narrowing his eyes.

"Why are you telling me all this?"

"Because I want you to know. I want you to know that I've killed for her, just like you have. I killed Bob Paris to protect her, and to protect you. We're not so different, you and me, Norman."

Norman scoffed at his words, but his face was much softer than before, his eyes still wide and uncertain like he didn't know what to think. Alex reached into his pocket, pulling a small object out and tossing it to Norman, who fumbled for a moment before catching it clumsily against his chest before looking at it.

"What is this?" He turned the small key over in his hands.

"It's the key to Bob Paris' safety deposit box."

Norman's mouth dropped open and he held the key out like it was a grenade, pulling his hands into his sleeves to hold the key through the fabric, his expression horrified.

"Why are you giving me this? Are you going to frame me?" He stuttered, his words coming out too fast, and Alex couldn't help but laugh gently at the boy's panic.

"No, no. I'm giving you that, because-" He took a deep breath, taking a huge leap of faith. "Because the only way I could have that is if I murdered Bob Paris. And I've told you where the body is now. If you still want to, if you still hate me and want me away from your mother, away from my child, then you can now turn me in. I've given you all you would need to put me away for a long time."

Norman gaped at the key in his hand, his gormless expression turning to Alex, who took a deep, terrified breath, his heart pounding wildly in his ears. This was all so risky, so dangerous, and yet, deep down, he desperately hoped Norman wasn't as bad as he thought.

"So, that's for you to keep. I want us to trust each other. You can trust me to keep your secret, and I'll trust you to keep mine. And if I ever do anything to lose that trust, or if I were to ever do anything to hurt your mother - which I NEVER would - then you could turn that over to the police and-"

He was cut off as Norman suddenly flicked his arm back, throwing the key into the lake. They both watched as the little piece of metal glinted in the low sunlight, before splashing into the water and disappearing forever.

There was a long pause, where both men turned to slowly stare at each other. Alex raised his eyebrows in shock, not knowing what to say, knowing they weren't about to become best friends, but feeling incredibly grateful nonetheless.

"That was the key to like, three million dollars." Alex observed casually, watching as the ripples drifted out across the surface of the water, eventually disappearing to nothing.

"Shit." Norman breathed out a soft, shocked laugh, turning his attention back to distant spot where the key had disappeared into the murky depths.

"I think I'll take that beer now, Alex."


	31. Chapter 31

Norma became obsessed with googling risks and complications associated with pregnancies when you were over forty, leading to Alex banning her from the internet and devoting his time to smoothing out that little worried frown in any way he could. Regardless, she made him promise that they weren't going to tell people until they were sure everything was ok, and Norman seemed more than happy to have a secret to keep from Dylan, if it meant he had something he could bond with his mother over.

Norma was happy to have Emma back, and often found herself starting to tell her, before stopping herself, mid-sentence, her paranoia holding her back. She was healthier every day, and it took some getting used to to see her without that tube in her nose, breathing normally, being able to do all the things she hadn't been able to do before. Dylan too seemed happier than ever, still slightly awkward in Norma's presence, as he always had been, but Emma seemed to have brought him out of his shell and they all had dinner together several times a week, like the happy family Norma had always wanted. They had adjusted to Alex's presence in their lives like he had always been there, not questioning this seemingly abrupt relationship change at all.

If Dylan and Emma thought it was strange that Alex and Norman seemed to do almost everything around the house and motel that was more strenuous than answering the phone, they didn't let on, Emma privately just thinking that Norma had them incredibly well trained, smiling as Alex jumped to take a roast chicken out of Norma's hands like it weighed a ton.

"Erm, me and Alex are going somewhere this afternoon." Norma said brightly, one particularly sunny spring day, and Emma jumped back from where she'd been standing much too close to Dylan in the back office. Her and Dylan helped out occasionally, when Norma and Norman were busy, and they had come in this afternoon, while Norman had cryptically declared he had something important to do, and Alex had pulled up to take Norma out somewhere. Emma frowned, checking her watch. It was three in the afternoon. What kind of date were they going on at three in the afternoon?

"Ok. When will you be back?" She asked lightly, settling down at the computer, glancing up to find them biting their lips to keep from smiling at each other.

"Erm, about an hour, maybe?" Norma said, looking at Alex who nodded back. An hour. What kind of date took an hour?

"Ok." Emma smiled, narrowing her eyes curiously at them, watching as Alex wrapped a protective arm around Norma's waist, leading her out towards his car, whispering something in her ear that made her smile. "Have fun!" She shouted after them.

Dylan was stapling together invoices in the office behind her, adjusting to the work he'd been avoiding since his mother bought the motel, looking slightly out of place still, as Emma spun round on her chair, fixing him with a mischievous grin.

"I think your mom and Sheriff Romero are off somewhere to have sex." She said casually, watching as Dylan screwed up his nose in disgust, not looking up from his task.

"Ugh." He sighed, glancing up to see their car pull away.

"They have a whole house right there." He jerked his head up towards the house, and she giggled.

"Maybe they ran out of places in the house?" She mused thoughtfully, tapping her pen against her lip, watching as his nose wrinkled again.

"Ugh. Gross." He dropped the stapler, a sudden thought occurring to him. "The coffee table..." He whispered in horror, earning a childish giggle from Emma.

"Oh definitely the coffee table."

Dylan sighed as if exhausted by the whole concept.

"Jesus."

"Well, I think it's romantic..." Emma started, resting her head on her hands, sighing wistfully.

"Yeah well, it's not your mom..."

She giggled, sliding off her chair and flicking over the "open" sign to "closed", smirking dangerously at him. He raised his eyebrows at her, as if completely innocent to her intentions.

"What are you doing?" He asked mildly, as she stalked over to him, dramatically sweeping all the invoices off the desk, watching with slight horror as they fluttered to the floor.

"You heard Norma. We have an hour..."

Nearly two hours later, Emma looked up as she heard a car pulling in. She cast an appraising eye down at herself, noticing she'd missed a button on her shirt, hastily doing it up before glancing back at Dylan. He was a vision of calm, as always, not even looking up as he continued his task, the invoices collected up and re-catalogued as if nothing had happened. She acted casual, pretending not to listen as she heard Norma get out of the car, crossing round to say goodbye to Alex.

"You sure you don't want me to walk you in?" He asked sweetly, and Emma smiled at the computer screen.

"No, no. I'm fine. Thanks for coming with me." Norma's voice sounded strange, tight, even at a distance.

Alex laughed lightly.

"Anytime. I'm going to have to tell work soon though. I've had more days off in the last four months than in the last fifteen years!"

There was a tense silence, and Emma chanced a glance up at the parking lot, seeing Norma leaning in through the window of Alex's car. She could only see the back of her head but she could tell her posture was tense.

"I'm sorry." She could barely make out the words, they were so quiet. Alex laughed again, sounding happier than she'd ever heard him, apparently oblivious to Norma's discomfort.

"Don't apologise." He said lightly, like she was being ridiculous. "Any time, Mrs Romero."

Emma cast a glance over her shoulder at Dylan who finally looked up, hearing snippets of his mother's conversation, smiling at Alex's nickname for Norma. There was a pause, where Norma didn't correct him in that playful way she always did, and Emma frowned, worry setting in.

Alex's tone lowered, and Emma leaned forwards, trying to act casual as he asked something of Norma quietly, something that sounded like "Can we tell people now?" but Emma couldn't be sure.

"Soon." Norma replied tightly, before Emma looked up again, blushing as she saw Alex pull Norma in through his open window for a searing kiss, his hands tangling in her hair.

After an exchange of "Love you"s and "Bye"s, Emma suddenly busied herself with typing nothing at all on the computer screen, doing a double take as Norma entered the office, like she had no idea she was there.

"Oh, Norma. Hi!" She said, in mock surprise, taking in Norma's appearance with an appraising glance. She was deathly pale, leaning against the door frame, taking deep breaths through a fixed smile. If they'd gone off somewhere to have sex, it had either been very good or very bad.

"Hi Emma." She smiled at her, though it didn't quite meet her eyes, cocking her head to look past Emma, nodding her head at Dylan.

"You ok, Norma?" Emma was out of her chair in a heartbeat, crossing over to where Norma was leaning heavily against the doorframe, taking shaky breaths like she was going to cry.

"Yeah. I'm... I'm fine. I just..." She puffed out a breath, jerking her head to the glaring sunshine accusingly. "Phew! It's so hot today!"

It was definitely an unseasonably warm day, the mild spring weather suddenly replaced with a bright, hot day that Oregon dwellers were unprepared for, but it wasn't really hot enough to be acting the way Norma was acting. Emma reached for her elbow, flinching as Norma's clammy hand immediately clamped gratefully over hers, clinging to her for dear life.

"Have you eaten today?" Emma asked, her eyes darting around Norma's deathly white face, taking in the sheen of sweat that broke out on her forehead. Over Emma's shoulder, she saw Dylan rise out of his chair, worry setting in as he watched his girlfriend supporting his mother.

"Er... Yeah, yeah. I had toast at breakfast." She said, dazed, shocked when Emma gasped.

"Pfft! It's nearly five, Norma!" Emma chastised, shooting a helpless look at Dylan over her shoulder. "I'm going to go make you a sandwich."

She expected her to fight or argue, like she usually would, so Emma was surprised when Norma just nodded mildly, taking another deep breath.

"Thank you." She said gratefully, nodding, as Emma swept past her, taking off towards the house at a jog.

Emma had only been gone for ten seconds, before Dylan took a hesitant step forwards, not really knowing what to say now they were alone. They had been carefully rebuilding their relationship, but they were still rarely alone, and the silence seemed uncomfortable now. Not that Norma seemed to notice, staring at the floor, hanging on hard to the door frame, taking slow deep breaths.

"You ok, Norma?" He asked gently, watching as she glanced up at him, her bottom lip trembling, her eyes shining with unshed tears now that Emma was gone.

"I..." She started, before her head lolled, her knees giving way under her, sinking to the floor in slow motion.

"Mom?!" Dylan yelled, his tone panicked as he lunged forward, reaching Norma just as she hit the floor. Her body flopped like a rag doll, and he crouched next to her, his hands awkwardly reaching for her shoulders, giving her a little shake.

"Mom?" He whispered, watching as her eyelids fluttered, as if she were trying to open her eyes.

"You never call me mom." She breathed out, her voice slurred, her eyes still closed.

He scooped an arm under her shoulders, pulling her up against his knees, seeing her eyes blink open for a second, glancing down at herself and then up at him with sheer terror on her face. The fear on her face made him sad, patting her arm in what he hoped was a comforting fashion.

"It's ok, mom." He used the word again, the word feeling unnatural on his tongue, but knowing she liked it. "You just fainted. You're gonna be fine." He kept his tone low and soothing, like he was talking to a wounded animal, not understanding the way her eyes widened in panic at his words, her breaths panting out in short, sharp, shallow breaths.

"No, no." She whispered out, her voice quiet and shrill, swallowing hard as her eyes began to blink frantically, her breathing quick and panicked. "Dylan... I need you to..." Her voice faded out, and her eyes flickered closed for a second before flying open again, desperately trying to remain conscious as a fresh sheen of sweat broke out on her forehead.

"Take me to hospital-" She murmured, and he wasn't sure he'd heard her right, resisting the urge to roll his eyes at her.

He leaned in close, trying to keep her calm, knowing she was the type to make a drama out of everything. Her eyes rolled back in her head, her body going limp in his arms again as she breathed out the words: "I'm pregnant..."

Dylan and Emma didn't know that Norma remembered alot of what happened next. She was in and out of consciousness, too weak to move or speak, but the memory of their slightly ridiculous panicked reaction would stay with her forever. Dylan had scooped her up, cradling her against his chest as if they shared physical contact all the time, screaming for Emma, who came running down from the house, peanut butter-covered knife in hand.

"Get the car, get the car!"

"Dylan, what's hap-"

"Norma's pregnant! She fainted. Get the car!"

"Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god. Is she- Oh my god, Dylan, what if- Oh my god!"

"Emma, stop it. She's gonna be fine. Just drive!"

"Is she bleeding? Have you checked?"

"No, I have not checked, Emma!"

"Well, you should check!"

"No! I am not checking. Oh jesus. Do you have Alex's number?"

"Mmm. Don't call Alex..." Norma had murmured, flopping helplessly against Dylan's lap, her eyes flicking open for a second to see Emma glancing back desperately from the driver's seat, her eyes wide and panicked. "He'll only worry."

That was the last thing she remembered, before she woke in the hospital room, Alex's hand holding hers, Dylan holding a sobbing Emma against his chest in the corner of the room.

"Why is Emma crying?" She had spoken warily, her mind flicking to the worst, as they all jumped at the sound of her voice.

"Jesus Christ!" Alex exclaimed, reaching over to pull her in for a hug, while Norma narrowed her eyes at Emma's tearstreaked face, her expression darkening, trying to prepare herself for the worst. Emma skipped across the room in two steps, shoving Alex away dramatically, leaning across Norma to hug her delicately.

"I'm just so happy for you!" She whispered tearfully, and Norma let a wide grin spread across her face, watching as Alex and Dylan rolled their eyes at each other, guessing that Emma had been like this for some time.


	32. Chapter 32

To her great dismay, Norma had been put on bedrest after her ordeal, despite her protests that it had just been too hot and her promises that she would eat properly from now on. She quickly bored of the concept of bedrest, growing irritated under Emma's constant worrying and fawning over her, going stircrazy as she stared at the four walls for what felt like months. She texted Alex alot, demanding to know what cases he was working on, sending him borderline abuse when he refused to tell her because that would be unprofessional. He was working in the motel office one saturday, trying to adjust to the world of hospitality because it was their business, not just hers now, the fake smile feeling unnatural on his face when his phone buzzed.

"I'm dying."

He was sprinting up the stairs before he could think, only pausing when his phone buzzed again. He paused at the doors, reading her text.

"-of boredom ;)" He rolled his eyes, huffing out an exasperated breath, slowing his pace as he sauntered up the stairs.

He walked into their bedroom to find her standing in the corner of the room, her back to him, leaning casually against the chest of drawers while she stared out of the window.

"What are you doing out of bed?" He asked, his tone mildly accusing, raising his eyebrows at her. She whirled round, revealing the set of headphones she was holding against her, her expression wide eyed and innocent. He grinned at her, his gaze drifting down to where she had folded each ear piece of the headphones flat, the padded ear ovals pressed against her stomach, a faint, tinny sound just audible.

"Entertaining the child." She replied innocently, as he stalked over to her, reaching for where the headphone cable was plugged into the faux vintage stereo he'd bought her months ago.

"Well, I think I have the right to know what kind of musical education you're introducing our daughter to." He smirked as he pulled the plug out, gazing at the ceiling for a moment as the music flickered and then filled the room through the built in speakers. His brow furrowed for a moment before he recognised the song, the same soft pretty melody that he and Norma had danced to at Gabe and Sarah's wedding.

"Cat Power." He observed lightly, smiling as he recognised the song he had downloaded the week they had returned, playing it on his rounds, though he would never admit it to any of his deputies. He frowned as he glanced at her, watching as she smiled sadly at the floor, his brow furrowing as he watched her bite her lip.

"What?" He enquired gently, watching as she tried to rearrange her face, her hand stroking protectively over the slight swell of her stomach, shaking her head like it was nothing.

"Come on..." He coaxed, his hand coming to rest over hers, feeling her fingers shake lightly against her tummy.

"It's stupid..." She breathed out, trying to smile at him, shaking her head at the floor. She moved to face the window again, his hands flying out to stop her.

"Tell me." He commanded, ducking his head to meet her uncertain gaze.

"I just..." She puffed out a breath, looking like she wanted to cry, but shaking her head lightly as if she were just being silly. "I'm scared to have a daughter. That's why I fainted, the day of the scan. I just... panicked."

"What? Why?" Alex said incredulously, missing his wife's haunted look, not understanding what she was getting at.

"I'm just..." She started, shaking her head as her bottom lip began to tremble. "I'm just afraid we can't protect her from the world." She said finally, blinking too fast to clear her unshed tears, her hands cradling her stomach as if she never wanted to let her child out into the cruel world.

He gasped, releasing a shaky, troubled sigh, his hands gripping her shoulders, making her look at him despite not knowing quite what to say. He didn't know what was the right thing to say - He didn't know how to tell her that nothing about her life had been typical when, in fact, he was a police officer - He knew what kind of horrors could face a young woman in this world. He had feared it himself when the ultrasound had revealed a girl, but it had been eclipsed by his joy at having a little girl to love.

There was a long silence, where the song finished and the next one burst into the room and Alex frowned in confusion, watching as Norma smiled sheepishly. The upbeat song seemed to contrast dramatically against the last one and he raised one eyebrow in question, a smile playing on his lips.

"It's Beyonce." She clarified awkwardly, clearing thinking this playlist would remain within the confines of the headphones.

"Mm hm?" Alex needed more clarification.

"It's Who Run The World?" She smiled up at him, bobbing her head in time to the music. "I made an "Empowered Baby Girl" playlist." She added nervously, watching as he beamed at her, reaching for the little remote, flicking through the playlist with interest. He smirked as she blushed, flicking through Adele, and Stevie Nicks, and Joan Jett, and Blondie, rolling his eyes alot but secretly feeling impressed at her unusual choices. He gave up on the playlist eventually, retreating back into the selection of vintage classics she usually listened to, scrolling through Frank Sinatra, and Patsy Cline to land on Elvis' Can't Help Falling in Love.

His hands slid down the lengths of her arms, grasping her hands and pulling her forwards, as he stepped backwards into the space of the room.

"Dance with me." He said quietly, pulling her into his arms.

"Thought I wasn't allowed?" She huffed quietly, thinking of all the times he'd snapped at her to get back into bed over the past few days.

"Just for a minute." He said, wrapping his hand around her waist, starting to sway gently. "We'll avoid the dirty dancing lift."

She huffed out an annoyed sigh as if she'd been so looking forward to it.

"Okay..." She agreed haughtily, earning a little chuckle as he pressed his face against her hair, pulling her in ever closer.

He span her out, then back in, keeping his movements slow and gentle.

"We'll protect her." He said finally, breathing the words seriously into her hair.

"What if we can't?" She whispered against his chest, sounding broken.

"We will." He said certainly. "Her daddy's the Sheriff. Her mom's crazy tough. Her older brothers are scary as fuck."

She nodded against him.

"And Emma... will also be there." He added, and Norma laughed against his shirt.

Her hands drifted up to stroke up the back of his neck, pulling back to look at him breathlessly.

"You think we're gonna be ok?"

"I know it." He said definitively, letting her pull him down to kiss her, yanking his head back when she licked against his bottom lip.

"Norma-" His voice was low, dangerous, even as he let her pull him back to her, kissing him ferociously out of nowhere, her hands pulling against his shoulders.

"Stop..." He said weakly against her lips, not meaning it at all, letting her walk them backwards, not resisting at all. Her knees hit the edge of the bed and she bent one knee, stretching it back, then following it with her other leg, kneeling on the edge of the bed, their new position putting her closer to his height, her arms winding around his neck, pulling him against her. The feel of her slightly protruding stomach pressing against him brought him to his senses and he wrenched his lips away from her, glancing at her breathlessly.

"Norma..." He whined, like she was being SO unfair. "Stop it."

She reached down to flick a single button on her shirt undone, watching as his gaze drifted down to the swell of her breast, impressively enhanced by pregnancy, her curves straining against her shirt as she pulled the fabric open, reaching to flick another button open.

His hand shot out to stop her, covering hers, gasping sharply as she popped open another button before he could stop her, his gaze darting down hungrily.

"Stop." He whispered seriously, as she grinned at him. "I'm serious. You're on bedrest."

She flicked her gaze pointedly to where her knees were resting on the comforter.

"Am I not on the bed?" She asked innocently. He rolled his eyes, his grip tightening to still her hand when she reached for another button.

"You know what I mean."

She huffed out an annoyed sigh, snatching her hand from where his was holding it, shooting him an unimpressed look.

"Fine. Sorry if it's all some big chore to you." She snapped, her eyes darkening at him, turning her gaze up to the ceiling haughtily. She shoved him back gently, her hands quickly undoing the last few buttons on her shirt before he could stop her, fixing him with a faux harsh look. "Get out then." She said simply, and his mouth dropped open at her rude demand, watching as a smug smile spread across her face as her hand slipped inside her shirt, sucking in a sharp breath.

"I don't need you." She said smugly, and he took a step back, his tongue darting out to wet his lips as he watched the movements of her hands under her shirt, her hand dancing across her flesh, squeezing her breast, letting out a soft moan.

He could only bear to watch her for a second before he lunged forwards, pulling the sides of her shirt open, replacing her hand with his mouth, his tongue and teeth and lips teasing her through the bra she was spilling out of, before he yanked the cup down, releasing her full breast into his mouth. His hands wrapped around her back, holding her against him as he teased her, his tongue flicking back and forth across her nipple, his teeth grazing her flesh, making her arch her back and gasp into his touch.

Supporting her back, he lowered her back down against the bed, kissing a path down the valley between her breasts, pressing a soft kiss against her stomach before his hands started inching her skirt up and he sank off the edge of the bed, sinking to his knees, his intention clear.

Though his oral fixation was something Norma had never dreamed of, revelling in how much he seemed to love going down on her, that wasn't what she wanted right now.

"No." She murmured, wriggling up back against the pillows, her hands grasping tight to Alex's shoulders, pulling him with her. "I want you." She whispered against his mouth, when he hovered awkwardly over her.

"But-" He gestured to the slight swell of her stomach where it was pressed between them.

"But what?" She challenged, wrapping one leg around his thigh, lifting her hip up to grind against him lightly, feeling his arousal through his jeans, despite his reluctance.

"The doctor put you on bedrest." He argued, for the thousandth time, sounding less convinced every time, undermining his words by dropping his hips a fraction, responding as she rubbed herself against him.

"So be gentle then." She whispered against his ear, before taking his ear lobe into her mouth, sucking hard.

"Ah..." He breathed out. "I don't think-"

"We'll be gentle, I promise." She said solemnly, knowing that she generally engineered the situation to whatever she wanted it to be, promising today to keep it as gentle as he dared.

"Make love to me..." She muttered, grasping his hand, sliding it against her sensitive breast, her tone only slightly mocking as she used the sweet term he usually used. It wasn't one she'd used much before, though, sadly, it was because it didn't really fit her prior experiences, but she couldn't help but tease Alex every time he used the somewhat outdated term.

He sighed into her mouth, knowing she was mocking him, but not having the will to stop her, slinking down her body to push the sides of her shirt apart, his hand reaching for one breast, cupping it gently, his mouth pressing against the other, his teeth grazing against her nipple, making her buck up into his touch. He clamped his mouth around her firmly, his tongue flicking back and forth across her sensitive nipple, the sudden action making her cry out, her hands dropping to fist in his hair.

"Tell me you feel better." He ground out against her flesh and for a second, she thought he was performing the worst dirty talk ever. "Tell me you feel ok to do this." He ground out desperately against her chest, his tongue darting out again, and she gasped, recognising his meaning.

"I feel great." She said simply. "I slept for 9 hours." She made her tone seductive, despite saying very mundane things. He groaned, flicking his tongue out to lick her collarbone before rearing up, letting her fix him with a playful gaze before continuing. "I had a hearty breakfast..." She muttered saucily, as he drifted down her body, undoing the button at the side of the skirt she was wearing. He started to shuffle the skirt down her thighs, pulling her underwear with it. "I also had a sandwich... and an apple."

"Oh god..." He muttered, laughing against her thigh, as if her words were so sexy. "What else?" He ripped her skirt off her with a flourish, leaving her top half with her shirt undone, hanging loosely around her chest, her bottom half completely bare to him.

"I..." She started, giggling. He pressed a wet kiss against the inside of her thigh. "I had an afternoon nap."

"Jesus." He muttered playfully, shimmying back up her body, resisting her efforts to pull him down on top of her. He kissed her lightly, before rolling her onto her side, shifting his weight to rest just behind her, murmuring "I'm too heavy" by way of explanation when she frowned over her shoulder at him.

"Is this ok?" He asked gently, as he undid his jeans, shimmying out of them, his body pressed up behind her as they spooned.

"Yes." She whispered in breathless anticipation, letting his hand run up and down the curve of her waist, before sliding down the side of her thigh. Her own hand drifted behind her, reaching to grab the side of his face, as she lifted her leg, letting him hook her thigh back over his leg.

There was a moment of fumbling before she reached down to help him, guiding him inside her with a satisfied hiss, feeling him watch her as her eyes drifted shut, her mouth dropping open. His hand moved to her breast, holding her tightly against him as he started to move, his limbs shaking from the effort of thrusting into her gently from this new position.

"Harder." She whispered, covering his hand with her own, feeling him laugh breathlessly against her hair.

"No." He shot back defiantly, resisting when she tried to lean forward, uselessly trying to use the purchase to push herself back against him harder. She let out a frustrated little mewl, letting her head drop back against the pillow, sighing as his lips found her throat as he continued his unhurried pace.

"Alex..." She whined, her hand grasping at where his forearm was wrapped around her, digging her fingertips in, trying to urge him on, as he pressed a line a wet, soft kisses against her neck, then across her shoulder, entirely ignoring her desperate, coaxing pleas for him to speed up. She wriggled against him, groaning in frustration as he carried on his incredibly shallow, leisurely thrusts, his other hand snaking underneath her, pressing tenderly against her waist, ceasing her movements.

Finally, when she felt like she couldn't take his teasing any longer, preparing to turn around and really yell at him, his hand suddenly slid down her body, pressing against her clit, making her buck into his touch.

He laughed smugly at her reaction, his hips quickening ever so slightly, his teeth jerking forward to nip her earlobe as he started up a rough, fluttering rhythm against her sensitive nub, earning him a series of breathy moans that nearly broke his fragile resolve.

His fingertips pressed against her insistently, the pressure and roughness contrasting sharply with the way his hips were still rocking gently, his thrusts still shallow and measured. He was losing his rhythm already though, the sight of Norma writhing as he touched her making him crazy, every breathless moan driving him closer to the edge.

"Oh." She breathed out, leaning her head back to kiss him, her hand grabbing his hair hard enough to hurt, the other hand gripping his forearm tightly.

She sucked in a series of jittery breaths, her moans subsiding for a second as her hand slid down to adjust his hand's position ever so slightly, pressing his fingers hard against her. He smiled as she grew quiet for a moment, knowing what was coming as she squeezed the life out of his hand exquisitely, before coming with a muffled scream, pressing her face into the pillow.

He followed her moments later, his hips jerking forwards for a couple of jerky, irregular thrusts that he couldn't control, before releasing a shaky moan against her shoulder. They lay entangled like that for a few moments, their breathing returning to normal, her leg starting to shake and go numb from it's unusual position hooked behind his thigh, before he slid his hand down her sides, down to her knee, tenderly returning it back to rest heavily against her other leg.

She still had her face pressed against the pillow, huffing out contented little breaths into the fabric, her hand still wrapped around his wrist, her fingers still clinging to him hard.

"I thought you were going to be gentle?" She muttered, and her words were muffled against the cushion, so he missed her playful, teasing tone, immediately leaning over her, his face crumpling into a tortured mess.

"What? I thought- Oh god. Are you-"

She turned her head suddenly, a mischievous grin playing on her lips, gazing up at him impishly. She giggled, pouting as she took in his serious frown.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" She said immediately, shuffling to lie on her back, reaching up the cup his face. "I was kidding." He still looked troubled, staring down at her sadly, making her pout up at him, regretting her joke. "Because you were SO gentle." She clarified, smiling cheekily at him. "You were the gentlest man alive." She said, her tone sweetly mocking, her eyes wide and innocent, as she shuffled her body slightly under him, letting her hands rest either side of his face, her thumbs tracing his cheekbones.

She stared at him, watching as his tone softened, a small smile playing on his lips, her eyes darting from his mouth, to his long eyelashes, taking in his features with interest. She used her hands to turn his head from side to side, examining his face curiously, and he just let her, smiling down curiously at her. She huffed out an exasperated sigh, flopping back dramatically on the pillow.

"I wish we weren't so good looking." She said glumly, and he barked out a short, surprised laugh.

"Yeah, it's tough being us." He nodded at her seriously, as she frowned up at him cutely, her hands drifting to dangle around his neck loosely.

"First world problems." He muttered against her cheek, leaning down to peck her.

"I mean it!" She protested, sighing as he pressed soft sleepy kisses against her jaw. "We've probably made such a beautiful baby." She said thoughtfully, and he laughed again, figuring out her issue with their looks. "She's gonna be so pretty." She said unhappily.

"Don't worry." He whispered in her ear, rolling to her side as his arms finally trembled under the effort of holding all of his weight off her. He pulled her to him, resting his head on her pillow, their foreheads almost touching. "I have a gun."


	33. Chapter 33

"Norma?"

"Living room." She hollered back, her voice echoing through the house. He smiled, as he rounded the doorway, taking in the way she was lounging casually on the couch, her hands resting against her protruding stomach, knitting something.

"Hey." He said lightly, lifting up her feet to sit at the other end of the couch, depositing her feet back down on his lap.

"Hi." She glanced up from frowning at her knitting, smiling widely at him, before focusing on her task again.

"Whatya doin?"

"Spear fishing." She shot back, smirking at him from over her knitting needles, pleased when he chuckled at her response.

"Ok, smartass. I meant, what are you making?"

"A hat." She said simply, pouting as she stared at the yarn in confusion, holding it close to her face and muttering something that sounded like "knit one, pearl one" to herself.

"For the baby?" He asked, slipping one shoe off her foot and letting it drop to the floor haphazardly.

"No. For you." She deadpanned back, her face deadly serious as she held up the impossibly tiny baby pink hat, her face falling dramatically as she glanced from his head to the little ball of pink wool in her hands.

"Ohh no. Do you think I made it too small?" Her face broke into a smile as she giggled, pleased when he laughed back at her.

"Ok, ok. You're hilarious." He rolled his eyes, slipping off her other little brown loafer, tossing it to the floor and slipping his hands around her foot. His thumbs worked into the arch of her foot, the pads of his fingers expertly squeezing and massaging from her heel to her toes. Her head dropped back against the arm of the sofa, letting out a relaxed little sigh as he rubbed her aching foot.

"How was work?" She muttered out, not looking up from where she was lying back, her knitting now forgotten, her eyes closed, her entire body melting into the couch.

"Good. Fine." He murmured back. There was a pause, where she moaned gently as he applied pressure to the arch of her foot, and he had to close his eyes and take a deep breath to block out the sound. She still seemed to have no idea the effect she had on him.

"I'm sorry I had to stay so late." He apologised for the millionth time.

"It's ok." She said reassuringly. He wasn't convinced, gazing guiltily at her bump.

"How was the baby class?" He asked remorsefully, feeling absurdly guilty for missing one.

"Lamaze? It was good. Turns out breathing in and out real slow hasn't changed since the last time I gave birth, so I'm already top of the class." She smiled up at the ceiling, clearly still thinking she was hilarious. He carried on rubbing her foot, not noticing her other toes wiggling wildly to get his attention.

"This one, this one." She whispered, flexing her toes to get him to move onto her other foot, shoving the other one behind his back, uncomfortably wedging it between his body and the couch to get it out of the way.

"Was Lorraine mad I wasn't there?" He asked in a small voice, like a kid who'd missed soccer practice. Half the other dads only turned up occasionally, a fact that made him feel impossibly sad for those women, who sat there alone most of the time, but he still felt guilty for missing even one. He didn't like missing out on a single part of his child's life, even before she was born. He wriggled uncomfortably as she stretched her toes out, digging them into his spine painfully, pretending it didn't hurt.

"No. Norman came with me."

His hands on her foot froze for a second and her eyes flew open, flicking her head up to stare at him in confusion.

"What?"

"Norman. Norman came with me. He didn't want me to go by myself."

Alex closed his eyes, his mind flooding with images of Norma practising deep breathing with his mother, Norman wrapping his arms around his mother, before Alex shook his head. He would never understand their bond and there was no use trying.

"He's got something he wants to talk to us about." She said mildly, not noticing the look of confusion on Alex's face, his hands pausing for a second before continuing.

"Us? Like, you and me?"

"Yes Alex, that is the definition of us. Gold star Sheriff." She smirked at him before dropping her head back onto the cushions, wriggling her toes to signal to him to continue.

"Any more name thoughts?" He asked casually, flinching as she jumped up as suddenly as a pregnant woman could, pottering over to the table and retrieving her notepad.

"Mmm hmm." She murmured, plonking herself back down on the couch and not hesitating to shove her foot behind his back again, the other draping across his lap, effectively trapping him between her legs. He stroked up and down her ankle as she shifted, settling back down and settling the notepad against her stomach.

"Addison?" She began, glancing up to see him shrug noncommittally. That was the usual response she got from him when they went through the seemingly endless task of going through baby names. He never seemed overly enamoured with any of them, and it was the only part of her pregnancy that he hadn't shown a boundless enthusiasm for, which she found confusing.

"Isobel?" He crinkled his nose, like he was thinking it over, before giving a tiny shake of his head, and she sighed heavily, crossing another name off her lengthy list.

"Norah?" He gave a single quirk of his eyebrows and, after a pause, where she waited for him to give her something else, she rolled her eyes and left the name untouched.

"Cornelia?" She announced with a little flourish, because she knew he'd hate it, but she loved it and was trying to convince him with her tone. He gave a tiny shake of his head.

"Roselyn?" He raised his eyebrows in a not entirely displeased way and she left the name untouched.

"Bea?"

"Like the insect?" He wrinkled his nose, and she rolled her eyes at him, beginning to grow weary of his lack of enthuisiasm.

"Like Beatrice?"

He mouthed something to himself and then nodded slightly.

"Maybe."

"Marion?"

"Marion? What century are you getting these names from?"

She fixed him with a steely glare, before crossing Marion off her list with more force than necessary.

"Alexandra?"

"Alexandra?" He repeated back to her incredulously, earning him an unimpressed look.

"Men name their sons after themselves all the time. Why not their daughters?" She pointed out coolly, and he laughed.

"We're not all as self obsessed as you, Norma." He joked mildly, reaching over to take the pad and pen out of her hands, and jotting a name down on the bottom before she could stop him. He turned the page to her, ignoring her little pout, his messy scrawl standing out harshly against her pretty, feminine handwriting.

"Louise." She read outloud, sighing and rolling her eyes again. This was not the first time he had suggested this name, repeatedly pointing out that it was perfect because she was "obsessed with herself."

"Very funny."

He smirked at her, clearly thinking he was hilarious.

"I just thought I'd add it to the pile, in case you wanted a full brood of children named after yourself?"

"I wouldn't want Dylan to feel left out." She joked, though she was half serious.

"Who's Dylan named after?" He wondered suddenly, tapping the pad against her toes absent mindedly, as she picked her knitting back up, turning her attention back to the slightly tangled mass of pink.

"Dylan McKay." She said simply, keeping her eyes trained down, biting her lip and he frowned for a second, trying to remember where he recognised the name from.

"Oh god." He groaned suddenly, and she smirked over the yarn at him, pressing her lips together in slight embarrassment. "Really? Really?"

"I was seventeen!" She protested, pouting. "It was the 90s! It was a different time!"

He shook his head at her, pretending to be deeply disappointed, before he lifted the notepad back up suddenly, studying it intently.

"What are you doing?" She said, reaching forward to snatch it back, frowning as he pulled it away from her reach, his eyes scanning the page of tiny, neatly written names.

"I'm making sure Brenda's not on here. Or Kelly. Or any other TV characters." He joked, laughing as she tried to lean forward, impeded by her stomach, struggling to snatch it back out of his hands and failing miserably. He held it out of reach as he read, his movements faltering as his eyes landed on a name near the top of the page, one that she was yet to read out to him.

"Theresa?" He read out simply, his smile dropping, pressing his lips together in a tight line. He sank back into his seat, and she leaned back too, her fingers coming up to nervously toy with her lip, unsure of how he was reacting.

"Er.. yeah. I just thought..." She trailed off, as he stared at the page, like he was reading that same name over and over again.

"Yeah, no... I know." He mumbled vaguely, nodding to himself, hearing the doubt in her voice. He turned to her finally, his expression unreadable, letting the paper drop back onto her ankle.

"It's... it's a nice idea." He started, his tone soft and sad, his hand finding her knee and giving it a little squeeze.

"I loved my mother... very much." He started in a conflicted tone, and she nodded, hating that she'd put that name on the list, hating that it had stirred up these feelings. She just felt like she needed to suggest it, since she'd never have considered her own mother's name. "But..." He took a deep breath, casting his eyes down to her calf, absent mindedly stroking his hand down her leg. "She wasn't a strong woman." He said guiltily, like he was doing her a great disservice by saying so. "I want our daughter to be named after someone strong."

She leaned forward, managing to push herself up a little, and reaching for his hands eventually, letting him grasp them and pull her up the rest of the way. Her legs were still wedged either side of him and she used her grip on him to shuffle herself towards, bending her knees and leaning in close to him. Her hands slid to cup the sides of his face, pulling his gaze up to meet hers and smiling sadly at him.

"Norma it is then." She said seriously, and smiled broadly when he barked out a surprised laugh at her little joke.

"Or Louise?" She rolled her eyes at his running joke that hadn't been funny the first time and definitely wasn't funny now. Opening her mouth to tell him this, she flinched suddenly, dropping her hands from his face to cup her stomach, her face screwing up in pain for a second, and he panicked. The smile dropped from his face and his hands shot out to gently grip her upper arms, watching as she leaned forwards, wincing.

"What? What is it? What's wrong?"

Her face smoothed out immediately, lifting her head to smile at his panicked reaction.

"She's kicking me." She announced and his face lit up.

"See! She likes the name too!" Norma pretended to be utterly exasperated by him, all the while secretly loving his excitement over every part of this child's development. She reached out to grab his hands, pressing them against her stomach, shifting them round a few times experimentally. She winced slightly as a little foot connected with her rib, and Alex frowned, partly at seeing his wife in mild pain (he was going to be a nightmare in the delivery room, she thought idly to herself) but mostly because he selfishly couldn't feel his daughter moving around where he was pressing his hands with giddy anticipation.

"I can't feel it." He said sadly.

"Oh poor you." She tutted at him as she jolted slightly again, and he looked stricken as his own selfishness, letting himself get caught up in the fact that he always seemed to miss any time she was kicking. He wriggled out from between where he was trapped between her legs, sinking to his knees in front of the couch and spinning round to face her. She swung her feet onto the floor, spreading her legs to make room for him to kneel in front of her, his hands resting on her knees for a second before he leaned in close.

"Hey." He whispered quietly. "Hey kid?" She giggled, as his hands came up to rest against either side of her protruding stomach, his nose brushing against her belly as he spoke. She leaned back on her hands, smiling down at him. "Stop kicking your mom, ok?"

There was a pause, where he waited, and there were no more little winces or jolts and he held his hands up smugly, like he had the magic touch and she shook her head at how easy he clearly thought this was going to be.

Her hand drifted through his hair, before sliding to his chin, tilting his face up to her, smiling down at him sweetly, pulling gently on his chin to tug him up. He knelt up, raising himself up till he was face to face with her, staring at her warmly for a moment.

He couldn't know that the fathers of her other two children had never talked to her belly when she was pregnant, or that they'd never rubbed her aching feet, or that they'd never cared what she'd called their sons. He could never guess the casual level of disinterest that John had shown, putting all his energy into masking his resentment towards her for trapping him, or the hostility that Sam had openly sent her way, only ever referring to their unborn child as "another mouth to feed". So Alex didn't understand why she was gazing at him so sadly, and sweetly and like he was the most perfect thing she'd ever seen, her eyes shining happily, her hands cupping his face tenderly.

She kissed him gently, and shivered as his hands tenderly tickled down her sides to rest on her stomach again, her own hands pressing over his, clutching at them gratefully.

"Am I interrupting?"

Thank you for all your name suggestions! I tried to include my favourites. You'll have to wait a little longer to find out which one I go for. :)


	34. Chapter 34

"Am I interrupting?"

"Oh um... no. No." They sprang apart guiltily, Norma pushing Alex away from her like they were horny teenagers caught making out on the couch, not grown adults sharing a tentative, chaste kiss.

"We were just..." She started, trailing off, glancing at where Alex was kneeling between her legs, his hands resting on her belly, her hands draped around his neck, and then looking guiltily back to where Norma was standing awkwardly in the doorway. He cast his eyes down at the floor and shoved his hands in his pockets, clearing his throat, as Alex rose to his feet, stumbling awkwardly around her leg to sit next to her.

"I need to talk to you about something." Norman said quietly, and Norma was distracted by smoothing her skirt back down over her thighs so she didn't notice the way Alex tensed next to her, narrowing his eyes at Norman.

"Ok honey. Come sit down." She said casually, lifting her head to smile at him as he crossed the room, sitting down in front of them and rubbing his hands over his knees nervously. The smile faded and dropped from her face as she watching him twist his hands together, his eyes darting wildly around the room.

"What's wrong?" She asked, scared of the answer, glancing uneasily to Alex. She desperately wanted him to look calm and non-plussed by Norman's nervous behaviour, so her face fell when she noticed him staring at Norman suspiciously, his whole body tense.

"I... need to tell you something."

Norma sucked in a worried, fearful breath at his words. Her hand slid off her leg, silently seeking Alex's, an unconscious action that he mimicked, clutching her clammy hand in his own, both of them sharing an unspoken moment of horror.

"I mean, you were going to find out eventually, but... I didn't want to tell you, what with the baby and all-"

He gestured broadly at her stomach and her free hand came up to cup it gently without thinking, the other squeezing Alex's hand hard.

She tried to keep her fears off her face, desperately trying to tell herself that she was overreacting, that she was being over-dramatic. He was better now. He hadn't killed someone. He couldn't have. He'd been doing so well. Despite this, she started doing a mental inventory of all the young women of White Pine Bay, trying to remember the last time she'd seen them all. God, she hoped Emma was ok.

She bit her lip, trying to keep her face neutral, as Norman cast around helplessly for his next words.

"I didn't want to upset you but..."

"Spit it out, Norman." Alex said gently, leaning forward slightly in his seat. Norman nodded, taking a deep breath.

"I'm going away to college."

Alex puffed out a surprised breath, raising his eyebrows and nodding incredulously at Norman.

"Oh wow..." He started, the relief flooding through him, patting Norma's hand gently and turning to her. She hadn't moved, her mouth frozen open in horror, glaring at Norman.

"You're what?" She queried.

"I'm going away to college. I start in the fall." He repeated, the smile dropping from his face as he took in her expression.

There was a long silence, where Alex glanced helplessly from Norma to Norman.

"That's... that's great, son. Where are you going?"

"Thank you." Norman said quietly, politely, giving Alex a formal little nod of his head, before glancing with concern at his mother's displeased face. "Erm, well I applied to Berkeley and Stanford-"

He was cut off as Norma snorted angrily at his choices.

"But," He carried on, his tone pointed. "I decided to go to Washington State. I knew Mother would want me to stay nearby."

"Nearby? Nearby?" She scoffed at him, finally speaking up. "Are you kidding me? It's literally in a different state Norman!"

"Honey-" Alex started quietly, before she held up a hand to cut him off.

"Stay out of this." She muttered and he raised his eyebrows at her as she shuffled forwards awkwardy in her seat to fix Norman with a steely glare.

"Norman..." She started, her voice softer now, taking on a pleading, patronising quality. "You haven't thought this through. Going away, moving all that way, all alone? It's such an upheaval. It's too much."

"I've thought it through, mother." He protested defiantly. "I'm going. It's all arranged."

"And what does Doctor Edwards have to say about all this? What does this mean for your treatment? Have you even considered that?"

"It was Doctor Edwards' idea." Norma pressed her lips together in a hard line, sucking in an irritated breath through her nose, and Alex could tell that she had changed her opinion on Doctor Edwards in a heartbeat.

"Oh really?"

"Yes. He thought it would be good for me - Good to go away to college like a normal eighteen year old. That's the goal here, right? Normal?"

Norma didn't reply, just crossed her arms over her stomach. Norman carried on.

"He's already made some calls to a friend of his up there - He's going to transfer my treatment to Doctor Gibson - I've already spoken with her. She seems nice. And I already double checked, and Alex's insurance will still cover it. I got a partial scholarship and I've applied for financial aid for the rest of it, so you don't have to worry about that-"

"Well, great." She said, standing up as suddenly as she could, throwing her hands in the air in defeat. "Sounds like you have everything covered. Be sure to send me your new address."

"Norma. Stop. Don't get upset. Think about what the doctor said-" Alex started, grasping her hand gently as she swept past him.

"Mother, I-"

"No, no. It's fine. I'm fine. Go. Thanks for the courtesy of letting me know." She shot a dark look at Alex, snatching her hand out of his grasp and storming out of the room.

"Mother!" Norman shouted after her.

"I'm exhausted. I'm going to bed. You can let yourself out, Norman."

"She'll come around." She heard Alex say quietly.

"Don't talk about me like I can't hear you!" She hollered down the stairs, as she stomped up them, slamming into their bedroom and pulling her comfy jersey tea dress off with more force than was necessary.

The quiet murmur of conversation from downstairs carried on for a few minutes more, while she slammed drawers open and closed, searching for something to wear to bed, pretending not to care that her husband and her son were undoubtedly talking about her downstairs. She hadn't heard the door click closed, or register the fact that the murmur of conversation had died to a silence, so wasn't aware that Alex was standing in the doorway behind her.

She was standing in front of the mirror in her underwear, muttering angrily to herself as she tried to pull a tiny, baby blue satin nightdress down over her bump. It was bunched up around her chest, the unyielding fabric not budging as she tried to tug it down, growling in frustration. She glanced up at herself in the mirror, noticing him standing in the doorway, smirking at her, his eyes flicking from her eyes in the reflection to her ass, and back again.

She glared at him, whirling round, denying him the view, her hands still uselessly trying to pull the delicate fabric down.

"This is all your fault you know." She muttered angrily, and he held his hands up, not expecting that.

"Hey, hey." He protested quietly, gesturing behind him, to where Norman had just left. "I didn't know anything about that. I found out the same time you did-"

"Not that." She cast her gaze to her stomach and the scrunched up band of shiny blue satin around her bosom. "This. This. It's all your fault."

He frowned, a confused smile crossing his face. He wasn't sure how her choosing her tiniest nightgown, in the fabric with the least give possible was his fault. He remembered the last time she had wore it, months ago, not long after she found out she was pregnant. It had been snug on her then, the close-fitting satin stretching across her increasingly ample bosom in the most delightful way. He wasn't sure why she had picked such an impractically small garment now, or how it was his fault.

"I'm fat. I'm fat now and it's all your fault." She put her hands on her hips, fixing him with a challenging stare. He chuckled, immediately realising it was the wrong response.

"Okay...?" He started, shaking his head at her incredulously.

She whirled away from him, crossing over to her dresser, pulling the drawer open and frantically searching through it.

"Let's have sex on the coffee table. Great idea!" She muttered bitterly, and he laughed before he could stop himself.

"But that was your ide-" He started.

"And look where it's got us!" She flicked her hands to her bump, searching wildly through the drawer full of pastel satin, and lace, and vintage white cotton, none of which had any give to stretch over her ample bump.

"And now I'm fat, and I can't dye my hair cause the peroxide's bad for the baby, and I look a mess, and none of these stupid chemises fit me." Her voice grew shriller and more hysterical as she spoke, holding up a handful of lilac lace, shaking the garment like it personally offended her. He crossed over to her, hearing a tell-tale sniffle as she leaned against the dresser, bowing her head.

He refused to get drawn in, knowing her mood had nothing to do with her shape or her hair or her nightwear. She wiped a hand across her face, and his hands came up to hesitantly rest on her shoulders, feeling them shake slightly.

"We knew he was gonna leave eventually." He murmured quietly, and she shook her head, sniffling again.

"He's eighteen. He's an eighteen year old kid going off to college. It's normal."

"But he's not normal!" She protested breathlessly. "He's... he's special! And it's so far away." She let out a little sob. "He's never been away from me before. And there's all those sorority girls! You know what girls are like around him!"

He frowned a little at her shoulder, trailing his hands up and down her arms, wondering what exactly she meant by that, hoping she wasn't about to reveal any more about Norman's past with women. There was only so much he could cover up and ignore.

"These sex-crazed, unstable women just seem drawn to him! He only has to walk past a sorority house..." She trailed off, rubbing her hand across her forehead, leaving the rest unsaid. Alex wasn't sure whether she was more upset that Norman might get his heart broken, or that he might be walking into a trashy horror film where he was the villain. He wondered if she was more fearful for Norman, or all these sex-crazed sorority girls she imagined falling at his feet. He would have laughed, if a tiny part of him didn't worry for those girls too.

"Norman's a good kid. He's smart. He wants to go there to learn. Did you know Washington State has one of the best writing programs in the country?" He parroted the fact Norman had just proudly told him downstairs to her, as she shook her head, wiping her hand under her nose again. He stepped a little closer, closing the gap between them, feeling the warmth of her bare back against his chest.

"We'll talk to Doctor Edwards tomorrow, and then we can speak to this Doctor Gibson, if you like?" He pressed a soft kiss against her skin, and she nodded.

"Ok." She murmured, some of the tension seeping out of her rigid shoulders.

"He's better now. You said so yourself." He reminded her gently.

"But... but the sorority girls..." She started helplessly.

"-Will be fine." He assured her, pressing kisses along her shoulder, up to her neck, pleased when she tipped her head to the side to give him better access.

There was a silence, filled only by her gentle sniffles, quieting to soft sighs as he tenderly kissed up her neck, stopping at her ear.

"You know you're not fat, right?" He questioned, wanting to make sure she had just been randomly looking for an argument earlier. He couldn't bear if she really thought she "looked a mess."

She dropped one hip, and she could tell she was pouting at the drawer of nightgowns like an unhappy child.

"None of my slips fit me." She grumbled, and he reached around her to grab the silk gown and toss it back into the drawer.

"And you don't want to touch me anymore." She whispered quietly, her tone petulant and he rolled his eyes at her.

"It's not that I don't want to." He said quietly, his yearning evident in his voice. "Trust me. I want to." She shivered, as his lips brushed against her ear, his hands sliding down over her hips, grasping at her ass lightly. "But you know what the doctor said."

She sighed heavily, nodding. Their last check up had thrown them both into a panic, after learning that Norma was in the "high-risk" category and that sex was pretty much off the cards from now on.

"Okay... So, we cut back... to like...?"

"Nothing." Their doctor had announced, devoid of any emotion, not even looking up from her chart, not noticing the horrified expression on Norma's face.

"Never? Zero? Nothing?"

"I know, I know..." She muttered out darkly, cursing her incorrectly positioned placenta. Her sexual frustrations weren't helping her already fragile moods.

"But..." She puffed out an irritated, exasperated breath, gesturing at her ever growing stomach vaguely, like a grumpy toddler who couldn't express herself.

"Come here." He hooked his hands into the crooks of her elbows, guiding her over to the mirror. She rolled her eyes, sighing as she looked herself up and down, unimpressed at her appearance.

"You're beautiful." He murmured, and she looked to the side disbelievingly, snorting at him. He stared at her till she looked back, catching her eye in the mirror. His hands slid up her sides, hooking into the rucked up fabric still around her chest, pulling it up. She raised her arms automatically, letting him pull it over her head, and then dropping her arms, wrapping them self consciously around her bare chest.

"You're beautiful." He repeated, and she started to believe he meant it, as he dropped his lips to her shoulder again, repeating his earlier actions, his hands sliding to her wrists, tugging them away from her body, and placing her arms back down by her sides. He glanced up, hungrily taking in her all in, his gaze dropping to her chest as his fingers trailed lightly along her arms, before brushing her hair back.

"And I like your hair." He chuckled at her, raising his eyebrows at the dark roots that were coming through, pleased when she smiled back at him. "It's very... Courtney Love."

"Well, that's great. That's exactly the look I was going for." She deadpanned, fixing him with an unimpressed stare in the mirror, and he laughed again, watching as she shivered a little, goosebumps springing up along her arms. He reluctantly stepped away from her for a second, grabbing something from the one drawer she had graciously allowed him to put his stuff in, and spinning back to her, gesturing for her to raise her arms over her head. She complied, letting him pull a huge, navy t shirt onto her, with an embroidered White Pine Bay police department patch on one shoulder. He tugged the fabric over her stomach, smoothing it down her sides, smiling as she turned slightly to look at the insignia on her shoulder.

"You're legally part of the White Pine Bay police department right now." He joked.

"Fantastic. Gimme your gun. I got a score to settle with a real estate guy."

He chuckled, as he let his hands drift down her sides, sliding to stop on her stomach. He pulled gently, tugging her back against him, and she rested her head on his shoulder, closing her eyes and sliding her hands over his.

"You think Norman will be ok?" She said, pressing his hands more firmly against her stomach.

He opened his mouth to reassure her, when she gasped suddenly and he followed suit a split second later, his mouth dropping open.

"She's wriggling." She announced happily, her eyes flying open to gaze at his wondrous, awestruck expression in the reflection.

"Wow..." He breathed out, finally getting to feel his daughter moving and kicking. She grabbed at his hands, shifting them a little, wincing slightly at the gentle pressure of the baby's foot connecting with Alex's hand through her stomach. "She's really in there, huh?"

"You didn't believe me before?" She laughed, as they both jolted with another little movement.

"No, I just- She's really in there." He said seriously, and she smiled broadly, watching as the Big Bad Sheriff of White Pine Bay, who had once threatened to "burn her down to the ground", gazed happily down at her stomach like the sappiest, gentlest man alive.

"Not for much longer." She reminded him, and he kissed her cheek gently, wrapping his arms around her more fully, feeling her lean back, relaxing back into his body.

2 chapters to go... *sob*


	35. Chapter 35

He didn't know why he found it so funny that Norma continued wearing her apron over her very pregnant belly, but he did. Alex had never really thought about her tiny her frame was, since she was usually disguising it behind full circle skirts and aggressively screaming at people like someone twice her size, but he was very aware of it now, as she waddled around the kitchen, her stomach knocking into his head every time she passed it. Glancing over his shoulder, he tried not to laugh at the way her apron was sticking straight out over the shelf that was her stomach.

"Please, sit down." He said, knowing it would fall on deaf ears. If he had a nickle every time he had tried to tell Norma to "sit down", "take it easy", or "let me do that" he would have roughly a billion dollars by now. It had been a long 7 months.

She was apparently looking for something, but wouldn't tell him what, insisting that he couldn't help, as she flitted back and forth through the house, mumbling to herself. He suspected she had forgotten what it was, as baby brain had fully set in, but he dared not suggest that, so he just watched as she toddled back and forth.

"Where the hell is it?" She muttered, growing more frustrated, as she opened a drawer full of papers, flicking through it half heartedly. He sighed, exasperated that she wouldn't just let him help - It was been a constant theme that led to Alex sneaking around the house in the middle of the night, tidying and cleaning and cooking in secret so he wouldn't get in trouble for trying to help. She really was entirely ridiculous.

He glanced at the inconspicuous bag next to his feet. They were planning on going to get a crib today, and, after much moral deliberation over the past few months, had decided to use Bob Paris's get away money to buy the baby's things. After initial hesitation, and even a hasty suggestion to burn it, they had reluctantly agreed that it would be stupid not to spend the money on their child. It didn't belong to anyone. Not anymore.

Reaching into the bag, he gripped a strap of bills, slapping the money onto the table.

"I will give you a thousand dollars to sit down for ten minutes."

She glared at him for a moment, before breaking into a wide smile and flopping down onto the kitchen chair, admitting defeat. Reaching for the money, she used it to fan herself, obviously exhausted by her search. He stood, throwing the window open, letting the summer breeze in to cool his sweating wife, who was managing to only complain about being 7 months pregnant in the summer heat about 3 times an hour.

"Ooh, Alex, while you're up..." She said, smiling as he was already reaching for the freezer, opening it to grab her a popsicle before she could even ask. Glancing past him, her eyes lit up and she struggled to her feet, ignoring his pleas for her to stay sat down, reaching past him to pull an envelope out of the freezer.

"There it is!" She announced triumphantly, frowning at the freezing cold paper in her one hand, and then at the popsicle in the other. "Who the hell put it in the freezer?" She looked genuinely perplexed, and he bit his lip to stop from laughing. Who indeed.

"I got you something." She announced, recovering from her confusion, lowering herself back to the chair again, slapping the envelope on the table in front of him.

"For me?" He frowned at the slightly frostbitten brown envelope.

"Mm hmm!" She murmured brightly, trying to pretend she wasn't already more interested in eating her popsicle in three bites that would inevitably give her brain freeze.

He flipped it open in his hands, sliding out the contents, which was several very densely worded documents. Flipping through the tops of the pages, he tried to make sense of the legal jargon, and court numbers at the top of each page. NC-110, NC-120, CM-010. None of it made any sense until he flicked to the last page and he froze.

"Petition for legal name change." He read outloud, not quite sure he was believing it, letting his eyes scan down to the bottom of the page, where her own handwriting had printed out her new name, a big red filed stamp partially obscuring it.

"You're-"

"-Mrs Romero. Officially." She grinned at him, her tongue and lips stained blue from her super-healthy and natural frozen treat. He kissed her before she could say another word, pouring all of his gratitude into the kiss, tasting the overly sweet chemical raspberry flavour on her lips.

"I..." He started, as he pulled back, shaking his head in disbelief again at the documents in his hands. "I thought you said it was archaic and patriarchal and you didn't see why women had to give up their identity and-"

"I just like giving you a hard time." She interrupted, smirking at him as he plonked himself into the chair next to her. He chuckled and she took a deep breath, casting her eyes down for a moment. "Besides, I was never really that attached to the name 'Bates' anyway."

He glanced up to see her smiling down sadly at her knees.

"Why would I be?" She said quietly, her tone bitter and wistful. He reached out to grasp her hand, giving it a little squeeze, drawing her melancholy eyes up to meet his.

He didn't know what to say, so he just leaned forward, kissing her very gently again, before pulling back and kissing the tip of her nose. She smiled at him and shrugged suddenly.

"Besides, it's 2016. Having three kids with three different last names is no big deal now." She said casually, even though he knew that, on paper, it went against everything the prim and proper Norma Bates stood for. His face lit up at her words though.

He hadn't wanted to make a thing of it, but he had secretly been heartbroken that his daughter probably wouldn't have his last name. He was just assumed that the headstrong, unyielding Norma Bates would give their child her own last name and hadn't brought it up, not wanting to get into a depressing, passive aggressive argument about it. It had been the main reason why his baby-enthusiasm had run a little dry when it came to choosing a name. He found himself repeating every retro, classic baby name she plucked out of her name books with his own last name after it in his head, and then having to correct himself, trying the name again to see how it paired with "Bates." The more names she had offered, the more depressing he had found the whole process. He now felt like he needed to see the list again with a renewed enthusiasm, as he gazed happily at his wife, who had snatched the name change documents back and was now fanning herself with them.

He was opening his mouth to ask if he could maybe see her never ending name list one more time, when there was a sharp little rap on the front door, followed by the sound of it opening a crack.

"Hello?" Emma's voice rang out uncertainly throughout the house, and Norma and Alex both smiled at her hesitancy to cross further into the house without warning. She had no way of knowing that the doctor had taken sex off the table in these last couple of high-risk months, and both her and Dylan had a slightly irrational fear of catching Alex and Norma in a compromising position after Dylan had shared the underwear-on-the-floor incident, and Emma herself had skipped down the cellar stairs one day to find them red-faced and flustered, folding laundry suspiciously breathlessly.

"We're in the kitchen, Emma." Norma hollered, at a volume Alex was finally starting to get used to.

The girl swept into the kitchen, hovering nervously by the doorway, her hands twisting in the fabric of her cute little heart print sweater.

"Hi guys. Erm, Sheriff, could you come help me with something?" He rolled his eyes, rising to his feet gracefully.

"Emma, I told you, call me Alex." He gestured to Norma's stomach, which was dwarfing her small frame as she leaned back on the chair, staring curiously at Emma. "We're practically family now."

Norma and Emma's mouths both fell open at his words, both of them smiling at the thought of their little family unit growing. He was right. They were a family now, but it seemed strange for Alex to comment on it so casually, since he always had that vague sense of awkwardness with Emma that he seemed to have around anyone who wasn't Norma. She supposed it was years of being "Sheriff Bulldog" that made it hard for him to let other people see his softer side, but it seemed Emma was seeing it now, pouting a cutesy little smile over his shoulder at Norma. He was oblivious, of course, walking over to her and waiting patiently.

"Oh. Erm. Can you come outside? Dylan can't carry it by himself. Well, he can carry it." She bumbled along sweetly, not wanting them to think she was suggesting Dylan was weak. "I mean, he can lift it, but I was worried about his back and.. Well, I tried to help, but I'm not really supposed to be doing any heavy lifting until my lung capacity surpasses-"

"Emma. Stop." He interrupted gently, and she breathed out a soft, embarrassed laugh the way she always did when she rambled.

"Ok. Just... come." She jerked her head to the door, and Alex shot Norma a confused look before following Emma out the front door. Norma listened to the quiet murmur of conversation and the soft grunting of men carrying something heavy, before her curiosity grew too great and she managed to struggle to her feet, crossing over to the door just in time to see Alex and Dylan carrying in something big covered in a grubby, paint-splattered sheet.

"Ok, ok. Let's just set it down here." Alex groaned, placing it on the floor and stretching back up to his full height, stretching his back out.

"Did you both lift with your knees?" She asked sharply from behind them, and all three of them whirled round to see her standing there, hands on her hips.

"Ok, give me the thousand dollars back." Alex said seriously, shaking his head at her.

"Hey Norma. You get bigger since yesterday?" Dylan asked casually, a little smirk playing on his lips, as he nodded his head at her huge, ever growing stomach, cut off as Emma smacked him hard on the arm.

"Dylan!" She chastised, and Norma caught Alex smirking at how Dylan's girlfriend might be more similar to his mother than he thought.

He held his hands up apologetically, rubbing his arm pathetically like she'd crippled him.

"We have something for you." Emma announced, somewhat unnecessarily, jerking her head towards the huge article covered with the sheet. Norma was pretty sure she could tell what it was just from the shape of it, but she raised her eyebrows anyhow, waddling over to it, and pulling the sheet off with a flourish.

It was a crib, but not like anything they could have found on their shopping trip. It was ornate, clearly hand made, with an simple, yet elegant carved wooden headboard, painted with some kind of pastel coloured design. She gasped at the sight, leaning forwards as far as her stomach would let her, her eyes drifting over the detailed pattern, made up of butterflies and daisies and a whole menagerie of tiny, fragile little birds. Each delicate little dove had been lovingly painted by hand and she glanced up to see Emma and Dylan smiling down at her nervously, their faces hopeful and expectant.

"It's beautiful." She breathed out. "Did you do this all yourselves?"

They both nodded proudly as she straightened up, letting her finger tips trail gently over the white, painted slats.

"Dylan did the heavy work. I just painted the birds and stuff..." She shrugged, her tone humble as she scuffed her shoes together.

"Wow." Alex choked out from next to her, taking a step towards her to wrap his arm around Norma's shoulders, apparently lost for words.

"This is..." He started.

"Do you like it? Is it ok? I know it's not as fancy as the ones you can buy in the store. We couldn't figure out- Well, I didn't really do much of the carpentry side of things, but Dylan couldn't figure out how to make one of those adjustable side things but-"

"It's perfect." Alex said warmly, cutting her off before she could try to talk them out of liking their gift. He stepped forward, shaking Dylan's hand, smiling at him.

"Thank you." He said seriously, and Dylan nodded back stoically as Emma and Norma hugged excitedly behind them, making matching delighted, shrill little noises. They pulled apart, and Norma pulled Dylan in for a hug before he could stop her.

"Thank you sweetie." She murmured in his ear.

"No problem... mom." He muttered back, and they pulled back just in time to watch Emma and Romero glance at each other uncertainly. Norma was immediately reminded of that day, months ago now, when Alex had left the motel and had dithered when it came time to hug her goodbye. He was doing that same awkward little dither now, holding his arms out hesitantly to Emma, whose mouth dropped open in shock at the invitation.

"Well.. ok." She whispered awkwardly, stepping forward and leaning up on her tip toes to reach up and wrap her arms around his neck. Norma smiled at the awkwardness of the whole thing, as she watched Alex stiffly pat Emma's back a few times, before they both quickly pulled apart, silently hoping they would never need to do that again.

Norma and Emma were happy to watch and offer unsolicited advice on the proper way to lift heavy objects as Alex and Dylan manoeuvred the solid, heavy wooden crib up the stairs, before Dylan and Emma bid their goodbyes, with Emma spending an inordinate amount of time saying goodbye to Norma's stomach, before they were alone again, back in the kitchen where they had started.

"I guess we have our crib now? So, I guess we don't need to go out today then?"

He cast his eyes behind her to the papers still lying on the table.

"There's something we could still do," He shrugged, trying to keep his tone even, though he had a hint of a devilish gleam in his eye. "If you're feeling up to going out still?"


	36. Chapter 36

"I thought we were gonna go somewhere fun." Norma whined, fanning herself with the big stack of documents in her hand, leaning heavily on the little shelf in the middle of the bank.

"Or somewhere they have food?" She pouted sadly, like a little girl as he slipped his hand into hers, his eyes nervously scanning the wall of cashiers windows, eventually spotting the tell tale auburn locks at the furthest end.

"We can get food later, if you want?" He said distractedly, noticing too late that she had curiously followed his gaze.

Her mouth dropped open, and she glared at him.

"Alex..." She hissed, her voice low, a warning lingering there. "What are we doing here?"

"We're changing the name on your account." He replied innocently, watching as she licked her tongue over her teeth, shaking her head while she cast her gaze to the wall.

"This is petty." She muttered to him, as the people in front of them were called and the whole line shuffled up a bit. She glanced up with irritation up at the ceiling as she stepped out of the cooling reach of the air conditioning vent she had been under before. Without skipping a beat, he took the thick pack out of her hands, starting to absentmindedly fan her with it, while his eyes darted back to the booth at the other end of the bank.

"Cashier 4 please." The automated voice rang out, and Alex dropped his gaze, looking a little disappointed, as Norma glanced behind her, spotting the rotund, smiling gentleman sat behind the glass, with the number 4 lit up in LED above his head.

Glancing back to Alex, who was smiling at her with a strangely disappointed little smile, his hand still thoughtfully fanning her with the papers, she made a sudden decision, suddenly smacking the stack out of his hands, knocking the papers to the floor. He frowned in surprise at her, mistaking her action for a childish, irritated reaction to what he had been planning. He thought she might have jumped at the chance to get a little payback to the woman who had tried to seduce her husband all those months ago, and even if she hadn't, knocking stuff out of his hands seemed petty even for Norma.

"What are you, twelve?" He muttered, dropping to his knees, starting to gather the papers up, his mouth dropping open in disbelief as she subtly kicked out with the toe of her shoe, sending a couple of the papers sliding out even further from his reach.

"Are you kidding me?" He murmured under his breath. This was annoying, even by her standards.

"Oops!" She said loudly, shrugging guiltily at the man behind them. "You better go ahead."

Without showing a shred of concern for the pregnant woman leaning heavily on the railing, or any hint of helpfulness to the man gathering up papers at her feet, the man rudely sidestepped them both, eagerly taking their place at cashier 4.

Alex watched in disbelief at the man's rudeness, barely registering that the robotic automated voice had rang out again, until he glanced up to find Norma shooting him a wicked little grin.

She didn't wait for him, just turned on her heel, and started padding over to Rebecca's window with a level of grace that he knew must reasonably tough for her, pregnant as she was. He scrabbled around on the floor for another moment, catching up in time to see Rebecca gazing curiously at Norma, like she knew her face from somewhere but couldn't quite place it.

"Hi there. How can I help you today?" She trilled politely at Norma, her eyes going wide as she registered Alex skidding to a halt behind Norma, suddenly realising why this woman looked so familiar to her. She'd seen her around, and had obviously heard about the pregnancy from around town, but she hadn't quite pieced two and two together for a moment.

"Alex! Hi!" She blurted out, her smile growing wider as she looked him up and down appreciatively.

"Hello Rebecca." He nodded back formally, and Norma flicked her gaze back between them like she was mildly confused.

"Oh, do you two know each other?" She queried casually, smiling at her husband, and he managed to stop himself rolling his eyes at her little act.

"Me and Rebecca went to school together." He said, after a moment of deliberation, and, from the flash of hurt that crossed Rebecca's face, he knew the blow had landed. It was petty, he knew, but he knew she'd love it if it called her "an old friend" or anything else that would have sounded like they used to sleep together.

"Oh! Lovely!" Norma trilled, and Alex was fascinated by the way she was playing this, her nice as pie act strangely enthralling. Rebecca flashed her a tight smile, before shooting Alex a sharp look.

"How have you been?" She asked softly. "Still alive, I see?" She cast her eyes up at him sharply, and he remembered her fears that night at the carnival, trying to warn him that Norma might be a black widow, and that he was next on her list.

"Sure am." He nodded back, and then both looked to Norma, who had narrowed her eyes in confusion at their pointed exchange.

"So, what can I help you with today?" Rebecca's professional demeanour snapped back into place, smiling tightly at Norma, who opened her mouth to speak.

Alex cut her off.

"We wanna open an account for our baby." He blurted out, before Norma could speak. Her mouth dropped open for a split second, before she smiled widely at him, biting her lip at his unexpected words.

"For your baby?" Rebecca repeated slowly, her eyes darting down to Norma's stomach like she had only just really registered it, a haunted, saddened look crossing her features. Alex had always told her he didn't want children. Turns out he just didn't want HER children.

"I'm afraid that's not possible." She said coldly, a cool professional smile back on her face. "We can't open an account for a baby that hasn't been born yet."

"Oh.. right..." Norma started gently, nodding. She'd already known this, but nodded as if it was news to her, her expression soft and reasonable.

"You gotta have a social security number to open an account, and well, they don't get them till they come out." Norma nodded, secretly regretting coming here to rub Rebecca's face in their happiness. She seemed harmless, perhaps a little bitter and sad, but nothing that deserved their pettiness or their scorn.

"I'm real sorry about that." Rebecca said unconvincingly. "It's just that... if anything unfortunate happens to the baby, it would be a nightmare sorting out the paperwork. I mean, there can be all kinds of complications, right? Nothing's certain till it's here, right?" She uttered the words in a chipper, upbeat tone, a cold sneer fixed in place, and the smile fell from Norma's face. Alex was immediately glad there was a layer of bullet proof glass between his wife and his former flame, and his hand immediately reached out for Norma's, feeling her grip his hand hard in anger.

"Anything else I can do for you-" Norma cut her off.

"Yes, actually. I'd like to change the name on my account to Norma Louise Romero." She announced, snatching the crumpled handful of papers out of his hands and slapping them viciously onto the desk.

Rebecca cocked her head smugly at her, reaching forward to slowly slide the papers over.

"Sure. I can do that." She cast an appraising eye over the paperwork. "I'll need to see a form of ID."

Norma slid her driving license through the gap, and Rebecca took it, typing a few strokes into the keyboard in front of her. She turned her attention to the licence, reading over the details.

"127 pounds." Rebecca read outloud incredulously, letting her eyes rake pointedly over Norma's body, stopping on her huge stomach. Alex opened his mouth to say something, ready to spring the defence of his wife as Rebecca spitefully crossed the line, but she didn't need him, leaning in close to the little gap in the glass.

"I'm pregnant..." She said slowly, patronisingly, like Rebecca was the stupidest person alive. She let her hand glide over her stomach, her smug smile reminding Rebecca that the reason she no longer weighed 127 pounds was because she was carrying Alex's child, living the life Rebecca would never admit outloud that she wanted.

"Mm. I'd noticed." Rebecca remarked lightly, turning her attention back to the computer monitor, checking over the papers every now and again, typing in the details.

"Why did you wait so long?" She piped up suddenly, not looking up.

"Sorry?"

"To change your name? Why wait so long?"

Alex slunk his hand around Norma's waist, pulling her close, the other reaching to pat her stomach.

"We've been busy." He pointed out mildly, narrowing his eyes at his former flame, pleased when she shrank a little under his harsh glare.

"Alex!" She scolded, but her arm wound around his back, slinking under his jacket, resting low on the back of his belt.

Norma let out her best little sex kitten giggle, playfully patting his arm, drawing Rebecca's attention back to her to wink salaciously.

Rebecca blinked a few times, before numbly turning back to the screen, a faint blush creeping onto her cheeks. Alex felt no guilt.

"Ok, Mrs Romero." She said formally. "That's all done for you. Is there anything else I can help you with today?"

"Er yes." Alex blurted out again. "We'd like to open a joint checking account."

"You'd have to make an appointment to do that. I can't open a new account from the window." She snapped curtly, as her patience wore thin.

"I could add her as a named account user to an existing account, but your only account here at this bank is your savings account so-"

"Add her."

"What?"

"Add her. To my account." He said simply, as her grip around his waist tightened, leaning in snugly into his body. He turned to find her smiling quizzically at him.

"What's mine is yours." He muttered, and she rolled her eyes, before he swooped in to press a chaste kiss against her lips, his hands brushing tenderly over her stomach again. When he pulled back, Rebecca was staring at them open mouthed, and if he didn't know the heartless Rebecca better, he would have said her eyes looked a little shiny as she cast them down suddenly.

"Well... Lucky you!" She mumbled quietly, tapping furiously at the keys, shaking her hair out of her eyes. She quickly added Norma Louise Romero to Alex's account, giving her access to Alex's life savings, noticing them both squirming in her peripheral vision as she ran his hands up and down Norma's sides, making her giggle. Rebecca bit her lip, giving the tiniest sniffle, before fixing a polite smile on her face, sliding the papers back through the gap.

"Right. That's all done for you. Have a great day."

"Thank you for all your help, Rebecca was it?"

She nodded tightly at her, watching as they turned as one, stalking away from her. Knowing she'd still be watching, he let his hand slide down, smoothing over the curve of her bottom, and she let out a shrill little giggle, coquettishly pushing his hand away, before grasping it and pulling it firmly around her waist, leaning in against his body. He turned back just in time to see Rebecca disappear behind a dark blind, bearing the words "Sorry this position is closed." and he pressed a triumphant kiss against Norma's temple, feeling only the tiniest flash of guilt over their petty behaviour.

There was only one last person yet to tell, someone that Norma had been trying to talk to him about for weeks, months even. He shut her down every time though, putting his foot down, not even letting her finish her thought every time she mentioned it. Finally, she had had enough, and waited till a day she knew he would be working late, taking matters into her own hands. She had never waited for a man's permission to do anything, and she wasn't going to start now, deciding to take matters into her own hands.

By the time she got home that night, she was so exhausted she hadn't even noticed Alex's SUV parked ominously in the parking lot. She checked her watch. Alex shouldn't be home for another hour - There was just enough time to make dinner and pretend she'd spent the day doing nothing, just like he wanted her to. She was lost in her thoughts, troubled by the feelings of guilt for going behind his back, trying to figure out how to broach the subject, perhaps over dinner, when a familiar voice suddenly cut through her reverie.

"Where the hell have you been?" Alex asked angrily, sitting in the dark of the kitchen.

"Alex!" She gasped, reaching for the switch, flooding the room with light, gasping at his furious expression.

"Where have you been?" He repeated slowly, sounding angrier than she had ever known. She dropped her keys on the counter, leaning against it heavily, trying to pretend she didn't suddenly feel a little dizzy.

"I guess you already know where I've been." She said, as she perched her purse on the counter, taking a deep breath. There didn't seem to be any use pretending.

"I got a call from the prison, telling me my heavily pregnant wife had just signed in, refusing their advice to go home."

"How unprofessional." She muttered, rolling her eyes as she gripped the side of the counter hard, feeling a wave of pain run through her body. It was just Braxton Hicks - She'd been through this before.

"Do you know how worried I've been? Do you know how it felt to get that call?" He sounded so tortured, so broken, that she nearly apologised there and then. She opened her mouth, suddenly remembering the numerous times she'd tried to talk about it with him, only to be shut down.

She whirled round suddenly, flashing her eyes at him angrily.

"There was no need for them to call you! I'm a grown woman. I'm perfectly capable of visiting an inmate without someone feeling it necessary to call my husband to check up on me!"

"My father, Norma! Not just "an inmate"! My father!" He stood suddenly, breathing hard, his hands braced on the kitchen table.

"What gives you the right-" He started, and she started forward, ignoring the pain radiating through her abdomen to her spine.

"This is his grandchild, Alex! You don't think he had a right to know?" She wrapped a protective arm around her protruding stomach.

"I don't think it was your place to tell him, Norma!" He yelled, louder than he'd ever spoke to her before, and she narrowed her eyes to a vicious glare, taking a step back and leaning against the counter.

"Don't yell at me." She said quietly, and he gasped as he realised how he has raised his voice. He was shaking, partly from how upset he was with her, and partly with how he realised he had just spoken to her.

"I'm carrying your child." She reminded him and he lowered his gaze, dropping his head guiltily.

"I know I shouldn't have gone behind your back, but you didn't want to talk about it. I just thought he deserved to know. That's all." She explained gently, leaning back casually, wincing at the ache spreading through her torso. It was too early to be labour pains yet. She breathed slowly through it, not wanting Alex to worry.

"You're supposed to be taking it easy." He chastised, his tone completely changed, and she knew his anger had leached out of him.

"I took a cab. I napped the whole way." She smiled at him, and he raised his head finally to look at her, letting a small smile cross his face.

"You took a cab? How much did that cost me?"

"You don't wanna know." She inhaled deeply through her nose, fixing a smile on her face to cover the wave of dizziness that had just washed over her.

"What did he say?" He asked gently, casting his eyes down at his feet.

"He told me you were punching above your weight."

He smiled at his shoes, imagining his father saying just that.

"He said you were lucky to have knocked me up. Said I'm stuck with you now." She laughed quietly, apparently not at all offended by Mr Romero's assessment.

"I guess you are." He shrugged, scuffing his shoes against each other.

"He was happy for us. He said he thought you'd be a good father. Said he always thought so, and he was happy you finally settled down."

"Did he ask about me?" He breathed out, his voice small, and childlike. She cocked her head at him sadly.

"Of course... Of course he did." He glanced up, crossing over to her slowly. "I told him you were driving me crazy and I wouldn't have it any other way." He stopped right in front of her, and her hands shot out to grasp his biceps as another wave of dizziness shot through her.

"You ok?" He said suddenly, his hands automatically pressing against her belly, then sliding around her back to hold her up.

"Mmm hmm.." She murmured, her eyes closing, her face contorting as another cramp gripped her stomach, making her hang onto him harder.

"Are you sure?" He sounded worried, and her eyes shot open, trying to smile at him reassuringly.

"Yeah. It's just Braxton Hicks. Fake labour. It's too early. I had it with the boys aswell."

"Okay..." He didn't sound convinced, as he wrapped his arms around her, leaning over her stomach to press a kiss against her forehead.

"I'm sorry I went behind your back." She whispered against his chest. His hands stroked up and down her arms.

"It's ok. I'm sorry I yelled."

She nodded gently, screwing her eyes closed and pressing her face against his chest to cover the twinge that ran through her, making her feel woozy.

"Do you understand why I don't want to see him?"

She nodded against his chest. Mr Romero had been nothing but charming, but there had been an edge to their visit, a slightly hostile undertone that had made her feel uncomfortable, especially when Alex was mentioned, and she could understand why Alex wouldn't want to speak to him.

"My mother..." He started brokenly, and she leaned up kiss him gently, to cut him off.

"I know... I know." She whispered against his lips before she doubled over, letting out a small cry of pain.

"Norma..." He started helplessly, his hands flying to her face, smoothing the hair away from her suddenly sweaty brow.

"It's too early." She muttered out frantically, as her knees went weak and her shaking hands clung on hard to his arms for support.

"I feel... I feel dizzy..." She whispered, her voice slurring, and he tightened his grip around her, his mouth flapping open helplessly as she let out another ragged scream, her breaths coming short and hard.

In the silence of the kitchen, there was a sudden drip, drip, drip sound, and he looked down in horror at the three little droplets of blood that were suddenly marring the white tiled floor.

"No, no, no... It's too soon." She murmured, before her head lolled back and he managed to scoop her into his arms before she dropped, feeling more helpless than he had ever done in his life.


	37. Chapter 37

Norma gazed down at the tiny baby nestled in her arms, her eyes filling with tears as she smiled down at her.

"Wow." She breathed out, her face breaking into a wide smile as the baby opened it's eyes, blinking up at her with that innocent, confused expression that all babies seem to have.

"Hi. Hi, baby girl." She cooed, sniffling slightly as she gazed down at her. Alex's hand wrapped around her shoulder, the other sliding under the baby in her arms to gently brush over the sparse baby blonde wisps poking out from the swaddling. Norma let her gaze wander to her husband, who was leaning his head on her shoulder, gazing in awe at the child in her arms, his hand gently brushing over the baby's head.

"She's beautiful." He observed quietly, and Norma nodded, pressing a soft kiss against his cheek, overwhelmed by the loving, tender way he was smiling down at the baby.

"Remember when ours was this small?" She asked, and watched as his face lit up at the mention of their child, watching as he remembered holding their own newborn baby in their arms.

As if they'd planned it, both of their heads flicked forwards at the exact same time, both of them seeking out their daughter, needing to look at her for a second. They found her a few metres away, giggling happily, being swung almost dangerously high in the air by a laughing Gabe.

"Shoot it! Shoot the ball!" He coaxed, and the tiny girl in his arms giggled, throwing the ball literally nowhere near the basketball hoop Gabe had set up roughly six years too early.

"Ooh so close! What's the score honey?" He set the little girl on her feet, and stood up, turning round to face Sarah who was sitting on a blanket on the grass, holding a hand up to shield her eyes from the glaring sun.

"It's like, 6-2 sweetheart. Louise is thrashing you. You gotta up your game. She's making an example of you in front of your daughter."

Gabe let his mouth drop open in faux shock at his wife's completely deadpan assessment of the game. So far, "the game" had consisted of Gabe and Louise running up and down the garden, throwing the ball somewhere in the vicinity of the net, with Gabe scooping the giggling toddler off her feet frequently, trying to teach her trick shots.

"I'm teaching her good sportsmanship!" He protested, gesturing to where his gurgling daughter was nestled in Norma's arms, as if she was taking it all in. "She's learning that her father is not afraid to play a superior athlete." He bowed gracefully at Louise, who frowned cutely in confusion, raising her arms to be picked up again. He complied, scooping her up, and swinging her round a few times, earning a shrill giggle from Louise and a worried gasp from Sarah.

"Gabriel! Be careful! If we break their kid we'll have to give them ours and I'm already quite attached." She glanced over at her baby, snuggled sweetly against Norma's chest, who was still gazing at her in awe, raising her head to smile dreamily at Sarah's little joke, before turning her attention back down.

He nodded solemnly, gently lowering her to pick up the ball, and obediently jogging over to the net, lifting her to tentatively tip the ball through the hoop.

Sarah clapped and whooped, since it was the first basket that had actually been scored in the "game" and Louise blushed and giggled at the attention.

"What do you make the score now?"

"Oh erm. It's like, 9 to 1. I got the Hawks on the phone for Louise."

Lousie signalled to be put down, visibly sagging and trotting over to where the other three adults were sitting on the blanket.

She stood in front of Sarah, pouting sadly and Sarah cast a helpless glance over at Norma, who shrugged back, trying not to jostle the sleeping infant in her arms.

"You ok?" Alex reached out with his free hand to run the back of his finger over her cheek, his face suddenly filled with concern at his daughter's unhappy expression.

"I'm tired." She announced suddenly. "I don't want to play anymore."

"Well that's ok slugger. I'm tired too." Gabe whispered conspiratorially from behind her, and she smiled over her shoulder at him, before turning her attention back to her father, her smile fading.

"What's the matter, kiddo?" He reached for her hand, swinging it back and forth, watching as she bit her lip, casting a jealous gaze to Norma, who was still gazing down at the tiny creature in her arms, and then back to Alex, and then glancing uneasily at Sarah.

"My hair got messed up." She murmured sadly, gesturing to her hair, which had been in two neat little buns on the sides of her head, and was now in two tangled messes.

"I want mommy to fix it." She glared at the baby, and Norma sighed, starting to gently manoeuvre the baby into Alex's arms.

"Louise?" Sarah piped up suddenly, looking uncertainly from Louise to Norma. "How about if I fix your hair for you?"

She smiled nervously, as the child pondered for a moment, glancing at her mother, who nodded encouragingly. From the moment he met her, Gabe had had the same easy bond with Louise that he seemed to have with all people, but Sarah was yet to make the same connection with her niece and she held her breath while the child deliberated.

"Ok." She said simply and plonked herself down in front of Sarah, her back to her. Norma smiled at the pleased expression on Sarah's face, as she tentatively reached for Louise's mousy brown curls, releasing them from their hair ties and running her fingers through them gently.

"Ok, madam, what would you like today?"

Louise giggled at being treated like a grown up.

"I can do pig tails, buns, braids, french braids, dutch braids, rope braids..."

Louise gasped happily and turned to glance approvingly at Sarah.

"Mommy can only do regular braids." She said, in awe of this woman who was offering her the world, in braid form.

Sarah glanced apologetically at Norma, who shrugged back. She couldn't be offended by her own lack of hair style knowledge. She had only ever had boys and she hadn't had hair long enough to braid for twenty years. Louise was lucky she even remembered the basics.

"Surprise me." Louise said, sounding older than her years as she settled down, leaning back against Sarah's legs. Sarah's nimble fingers worked gently through her hair, weaving and working it into two intricate braids that Norma knew she would have to get Sarah to teach her later. They were bound to be requested again.

As Norma watched Louise and Gabe's ease with her child, she couldn't help but be reminded of the first time they had met their niece, considerably less comfortable than they were now.

"OhmyGodShe'ssotinyI'mfreakingout!" Sarah babbled, sweeping over to where Norma was resting delicately on the couch, her daughter gurgling sweetly in her arms. She hadn't said hello yet, just dumped her purse on the floor, jogging across the living room and coming to a nervous stop in front of the baby.

"Hello Norma." Gabe said pointedly from the doorway, as Sarah hovered right by her, covering her tearful smile with her hands. "Hello Alex. Congratulations on the baby."

"Sorry..." Sarah breathed out, smiling over at Alex, giving him an apologetic little nod for running past him to meet her niece.

"No worries. I'd crawl over broken glass just to stare at her." He admitted, and Norma gazed romantically at him over her shoulder, melting at his words. "I get it." Sarah pulled a cute little face at his confession, and Gabe strolled over to clap Alex on the arm, before the two men shrugged at each other, realising they hadn't greeted each other yet.

"Congrats, man." He said quietly, pulling Alex in for a quick man-hug.

Sarah meanwhile had perched gently next to Norma, as if afraid to sit down with her full weight, lest she disturb the sleeping angel in Norma's arms. Her hands were still pressed against the sides of her face, like she couldn't contain her emotions right now.

"Hi Sarah." Norma said finally, laughing slightly as she took in Sarah's awestruck expression.

"Oh my god-Hi!" She said breathlessly, tearing her gaze away from the cooing infant to smile warmly at Norma. "I missed you."

Norma grinned happily, believing her, before shuffling her arms slightly.

"Hey. You wanna go see Auntie Sarah?" She murmured, in the baby voice she'd been so desperately trying to avoid.

Sarah gasped at Norma's words, as she rearranged the baby in her arms to gently pass her over to Sarah's waiting hands.

"Oh my god. Auntie Sarah!" She breathed out, like she had forgotten her own title, her bottom lip trembling as Norma helped her spread her fingers out right, settling the baby in her arms. "Oh god. Look at her!" She sobbed out finally, her fragile resolve on her tears finally breaking as she gazed down happily. "Ohh I'm getting tears on your baby!" She choked out, sounding horrified.

"That's ok. We got her waterproofed." Alex deadpanned, but Sarah didn't even notice, and Gabe laughed as he sauntered over to Norma, leaning down to press a kiss against her cheek.

"Congratulations Norma. She's perfect." Norma beamed up at him, nodding in agreement as he turned his attention to where Sarah was dripping tears onto the oblivious little face in her arms. Even Gabe seemed to fall under their daughter's spell, sinking down slowly next to her. His arm naturally wrapped around her shoulder as he leaned over, getting a better look.

"Oh jeez. Look at those eyelashes. She got the Romero eyelashes!" He grinned over his shoulder at Alex, not noticing the way Norma frowned. It didn't escape her how those long dark lashes were going to frame those huge blue eyes as her daughter got older, probably growing prettier and prettier with every passing year.

Gabe glanced at his wife, shaking his head, laughing as he took in the way she was happily crying, gazing silently down at the baby.

"Come here..." He muttered, dragging her attention from the baby for a second to wipe the tears from her cheeks, before they both turned their attention back to those endlessly huge baby blue eyes.

His hand drifted tentatively along where Sarah's was supporting the swaddled bundle, stroking her fingers sweetly for a second before nervously reaching to cup the little girl's head for a second. Alex couldn't help but smile as his brother's huge hand gently toyed with the mousey brown fluff on his daughter's head, his face in awe as the baby gurgled up at him.

"Wow, you guys." He said shaking his head in disbelief. "You like, made her! You made this tiny human. How crazy is that?"

"You wanna hold her?" Norma asked, leaning forward watching as Gabe held his hands up.

"Oh no. No. One time I just looked at a glass too hard and it broke."

"You'll be fine-" Norma tried to assure, as Sarah made a pathetic mewling noise from between them.

"No. I'm not done with her." She whined, hogging the child in her arms.

"You'll have your own soon." Alex said casually, and Gabe and Sarah both tensed, the smiles dropping from their faces.

Norma sensed the moment right away and tried to catch Alex's eye, who remained oblivious.

"Might not be that simple." Gabe said quietly, focusing intently on his niece's tiny fingers.

"Don't be stupid. We did it by accident!" Alex announced obliviously, not noticing Norma's eyes flashing a sad warning at him. "And we're like, twice your age!" He laughed lightly, his smile fading as he realised no-one was laughing with him. Norma caught his eyes and frowned at him, now realising why Sarah had cried so much at the sight of her niece.

"Oh." He said suddenly, into the uncomfortable silence, looking at the young healthy couple sitting before him, suddenly looking like they were going to cry.

"It could still happen?" Gabe said hopefully, his arm wrapping around Sarah's shoulder, who cast her gaze down, sniffling gently to cover the tears that had sprung to her eyes.

"Yeah. 17% is great odds." She muttered bitterly, wiping her nose surreptitiously on her sleeve, gazing down sadly at the baby in their arms.

"There's still things we-" Gabe started quietly.

"I don't want to talk about it!" Sarah snapped suddenly, guiltily glancing down at the baby in her arms, wondering if this was as close as she destined to get.

Norma and Alex exchanged a sad, guilty look at creating a child by accident, when this young, healthy couple were having trouble. Norma silently prayed to a God she had long since stopped believing in to give Gabe and Sarah the happiness a child had brought to Norma and Alex's lives.

Looking down at the little angel in her arms, she wondered if someone had been listening to her prayers after all. If they were, she could have done without the years of heartache Gabe and Sarah had been through to get their little miracle.

"She's so beautiful, guys." Norma said genuinely. Alex nodded solemnly from where he was sat next to her, before piping up.

"How much would you have paid for our girls not to have the Romero eyelashes?" He joked lightly.

"Oh anything. Anything!" Gabe laughed and they all glanced from Louise to the baby, taking in the impossibly dark, long, fluttering lashes on both children. Louise had grown into them a little now, as her baby hair had darkened to a light chocolatey brown colour, but with Gabe and Sarah's tiny blonde baby, the dark eyelashes fanned out against her cheek stood out almost absurdly.

Norma had been right to worry about how good looking they were - They had produced a very pretty child, with Alex's olive skin tone, chestnut coloured hair that was close to Norma's natural hair colour, and huge, absurdly blue eyes, framed with long dark lashes. It was like someone had picked every good feature of theirs and pieced them together to create this beautiful creature that was having her hair woven into a intricate hairstyle by Sarah.

"How insane is it that we made them?" Gabe observed suddenly, and Norma giggled, the vibrations waking up the sleeping baby in her arms, the child immediately beginning to coo unhappily.

"It's pretty crazy." She agreed quietly, as she rocked the baby gently, to no avail.

Gabe held out his arms, letting Norma shuffle the baby into his hands, watching as Gabe immediately quieted the child, bobbing and rocking her in a way that he already seemed to have down. He was a natural. It would seem all the Romero men were. It was hard to believe a few short

years back, he was too scared to even hold Louise, terrified his huge hands were going to somehow break her.

"There. All done." Sarah finished Louise's hair, and Louise turned around, patting her plaits gently, nodding to show she was pleased. She reached up with her little arms, throwing them around Sarah's neck, pulling her in for an unexpected hug.

"Thank you, Auntie Sarah." Over Louise's shoulder, Norma watched as Sarah gasped happily, looking like she was going to cry as the little girl finally accepted her.

"You're welcome sweetie." She whispered back.

"Louise? You wanna come meet your cousin?" Gabe asked gently, watching as the little girl disentangled her arms from around his wife's neck and obediently stomped over the blanket to sit cross legged in front of Gabe and the baby. She leaned up on her knees to stare at the baby in a decidedly unimpressed way.

"She's small." She announced with mild displeasure.

Alex chuckled, shuffling over to her, and pulling her onto his lap, pressing a kiss against the top of her head.

"It wasn't so long ago you used to be that tiny." He pointed out.

"Pfft!" Louise breathed out incredulously, like her father was being entirely ridiculous and he laughed at much like her mother she looked when she did that.

"It's true!"

She rolled her eyes like a teenager, not a toddler, and he chuckled again.

"Hello." She murmured, leaning in close to address the baby directly. She stared at it for a moment longer, her disinterest growing evident.

"She doesn't do much." She observed nonchalantly, and Gabe laughed gently.

"Not yet. But one day, she'll be older and you can play together."

Louise brightened a little at that, nodding thoughtfully, glancing around the garden like she was already planning what games they would play.

"What's her name?" She cocked her head as the newborn stretched out one little hand that had wriggled free from the blanket, tiny fingers splaying out experimentally. Automatically, with a sense of wonder that even a child had when looking at a baby, she reached forward to gently touch the little hand, letting the fingers wrap around her index finger.

"Theresa. Theresa Alexandra." He murmured, smiling gently, his voice a mix of sadness and pride. He glanced up at Alex who nodded back at him warmly. He understood Gabriel's choice of name. He had always been closer to their mother, always clinging on to her attention when Alex's father ignored him, especially as they both grew older - Alex had looked more like his father every day, and Gabe... hadn't. The name was the perfect way for Gabriel to show his gratitude to the mother who had always tried her best to shelter him from the man he called dad, and to the brother who had always been on his side.

"Who is she named after?" Gabe frowned at the unusual question, wondering how such a small child would know to ask something like that.

"Erm... Your grandma." He offered uncertainly, shooting Alex a slightly nervous look, relieved when he simply nodded back, his eyes letting Gabriel know that this wasn't going to be new information to Louise.

"In heaven?" She murmured sadly, staring with mild interest as the baby squeezed her finger.

"Yeah." He muttered back, his voice thick.

"I'm named after mommy." She announced proudly, and the pride in her voice made Norma smile across from her. Gabe and Sarah frowned slightly, their faces confused, and Norma realised they had no reason to know her middle name.

"Louise is my middle name." She offered, feeling embarrassed, as Gabe and Sarah smiled in a slightly bewildered way.

"My brother's named after mommy too." Louise explained and Norma shot them a bashful look, shrugging. The name Louise had started as a joke that Norma pretended she hated, but, to her fake-horror, it had stuck. She secretly enjoyed how invested Alex had been in naming their daughter after "the strongest woman he knew" and had allowed the name to stick, to the point where no other suggestion had sounded right.

"Norma Louise and her kids, Norman and Louise." Gabe said, barely keeping the mocking laughter out of his voice.

"There's also Dylan. He's named after a 90210 character." Alex pointed out, and Norma flicked her head to shoot him a harsh glare, her mouth dropping in shock as Alex joined in on the mocking. He held his hands up apologetically as she narrowed her eyes at him angrily.

Louise wriggled out of his arms, crossing over to her tiny holographic pink backpack, pulling something out and then trotting back over to Gabe and Theresa.

"Erm, guys?" Gabe said, his voice slightly wary, drawing their attention back to him. "Your child appears to be holding a dead bird."

Louise looked deeply hurt, pulling the animal close to her defensively, stroking her fingers down it's feathers, her bottom lip trembling.

"Oh... erm..." Norma started helplessly, watching as Louise hugged the bird close to her, suddenly glaring angrily at Gabe, who raised his eyebrows at them.

"I wanted to show Theresa." She said sadly, turning to her mother with a broken expression, still hugging the animal.

"Ok honey." She said soothingly, letting the little girl snuggle against her, clearly hurt at Gabe's reaction to her favourite toy. "Erm, this is Paloma." She gestured broadly to the stuffed sparrow, her tone pointed, her eyes flashing at Gabe and Sarah who looked somewhat confused at their choice of toy for their child. "Her brother, Norman, he's... well, he used to be into taxidermy. He made it for Louise. She takes it everywhere." Her tone said that was wasn't exactly happy with the situation, but both Gabe and Sarah nodded suddenly, Sarah springing forward on her knees to reach for the bird.

"Oh wow!" She cooed, unconvincingly, but convincing enough for the little girl, who's face lit up as Sarah smiled at the dead bird in her hands. She held it out for her to examine.

"I named it after me." She announced proudly, smiling over her shoulder at her mother. "Just like mom did with me." Norma's cheeks burned at the idea of her daughter naming a dead bird after herself, just to be more like her mother.

"After you?" Sarah seemed non-plussed at the strangeness of the situation.

"Paloma is my middle name. It means "dove" in Spanish." She explained seriously, reciting the fact she'd learned almost as soon as she'd learned to speak her name. "Because Paloma's a bird." She pointed out the obvious sweetly, lovingly gazing at the stuffed sparrow in her hands.

Gabe and Alex exchanged a look, remembering their conversation on Gabe's wedding day, immediately recognising the significance of Louise Paloma's name.

"She's beautiful honey." Sarah trilled, flashing Norma an awkward little look as she tried to cover her confusion over Louise's love for a taxidermy sparrow.

Louise nodded solemnly, and then toddled over to hold Paloma up close to Theresa's little face. She sagged at the baby's lack of response, and Gabe took the opportunity to strike up a quiet conversation with her, her face lighting up as he asked questions about Paloma.

"So... if you guys were ok with it, I was thinking we could maybe go out tonight?" Sarah piped up, dragging their attention away from where Gabe and Louise were happily chatting away on the other side of the blanket.

"Yeah. What did you have in mind?"

"Dinner. Drinks. Nothing too crazy." Sarah shrugged, folding her feet underneath her. "Just a grown up night with no talk of diapers or formula or registering for preschool."

Norma nodded sympathetically, remembering how much unsolicited advice people offered the parents of a newborn. It made her happy that her and Alex didn't have that many friends back in White Pine Bay - They never really needed anyone else, or their intrusive opinions.

"What about the kids? Louise is pretty responsible but she might struggle to watch the baby." Alex said, frowning slightly.

"Don't worry. I've got a great sitter in mind."

Alex and Norma shared a look where they both communicated to each other that they didn't really want to leave their child with some stranger but it seemed rude to refuse the invitation, so she nodded slightly, and he nodded back and they turned to her with a matching polite smiles on their faces.

"Come on! We hardly get to see you! It'll be fun!"

"Sure, Sarah. That sounds nice." Norma said, already worrying about leaving their children, if only for one evening.

"But not too late, ok?" Alex added, noticing Norma's little worried frown.

"Of course, of course. We're responsible parent-types now!" Sarah reassured him, though only Norma caught the wicked gleam in her eye.

BIG thank you to everyone who suggested a name for the baby! I couldn't tell you at the time, but I was technically looking for two names, one for the Normero baby and one for the Sabe baby. I had already settled on Louise but, when alot of people suggested Theresa, I thought it would work perfectly for Gabe and Sarah's baby. And quite a few people also suggested Alexandra (or similar) and I didn't even twig that that was related to Alex's name till DoomedSometimes mentioned it and I suddenly realised! I thought it might be nice if Gabe named his baby after the two family members he'd always loved the most. And Paloma? Well, I genuinely thought more people would suggest bird-related names, but most of them seemed to bit too heavy handed, but then I found Paloma and really liked the spanish connection, so I settled on that one. There were SO many pretty names suggested though! Loved them all!

Also, the next chapter is the last chapter. For real! I'm emoshe about it! :'(


	38. Chapter 38

"Hey sweetheart! You ready to hang out with your Uncle Ray?" Ray crouched down, smiling broadly at Louise, who frowned darkly at him.

"You're not my uncle." She protested suspiciously. "Mommy says not to trust men who say they're my uncle when they're not."

She crossed her arms and glared at him, while Norma laughed in shocked embarrassment.

"Louise!"

He held his hand up to let her know it was ok.

"That's true, honey. Your mommy's a smart lady. But I'm a sort of uncle. I'm Auntie Sarah's dad."

Louise didn't look convinced, narrowing her eyes at Ray, who glanced helplessly up at Norma.

"I wanna go with you!" Louise whined suddenly, grabbing on to her mother's hem, tugging it helplessly.

Alex dropped to his knees before Norma could say anything, gently tugging Louise away from her and holding her by the tops of her arms.

"Hey Lou-Lou? You know that peach cobbler that mom makes?"

Louise pouted and nodded, her eyes lighting up a little.

"Guess who taught her the recipe for it?" He pointed excitedly at Ray, who smiled and shrugged.

"It was Uncle Ray, and since you're family too, maybe he could teach you the secret?"

The baby gurgled from the bassinet in the corner, and Louise cast her eyes over to her for a moment.

"And then when Theresa gets big, maybe I could teach her?" She mumbled shyly, and Alex's face broke into a beaming grin.

"Yeah! And Uncle Ray's gonna need your help looking after Theresa."

"I could definitely use some help, kid!" Ray offered, holding out a hand to her. She glanced at it, then back to her father, and then cast an unsure glance up at her mother. Norma nodded gently, before sinking to her knees next to Alex and kissing Louise on the forehead.

"You be good, ok?"

"I will." Louise said sincerely, before Alex reached for her, giving her a squeeze and pretending to munch on her, tickling her, earning himself a shrill little giggle.

Pulling back, she finally turned to Ray, taking his hand, and they watched Ray breathe a sigh of relief as she didn't cast a second glance at her parents, gladly going with him to the kitchen. Norma hoped that if, God forbid, Louise ever really did meet a creepy guy who said that he was her uncle, he didn't know how to make peach cobbler. Her daughter was easily bought.

They slipped into the waiting taxi at the bottom of Gabe and Sarah's drive, finding the couple already waiting for them.

"All good?" Gabe asked.

"Yeah. Sorry. We just wanted to get her settled." Norma said, as she put her seatbelt on.

"You didn't cry." Alex observed with a note of surprise in his voice. "I'm impressed."

He leaned over to kiss her on the cheek and ignored the way she rolled her eyes at him. She couldn't admit how close she had come to shedding a tear, as they had bid goodbye to their daughter. She always hated leaving her, but she would have to work on it. Louise would be starting school before she knew it, and they couldn't have a fit of hysterics every day.

"Norma?" The tiny voice from the front seat piped up suddenly, and Sarah turned around in her seat to look at her. Her face was streaked with tears and she sniffled deeply.

"Do you have a tissue or something?" She sobbed, as Norma sprang forward, pulling a pack of tissues out of her bag straight away.

"Oh honey. Do you not wanna go? We can stay in?"

"No, no. I'm gonna be fine." Sarah sniffled, and blew her nose loudly. "I just... We've never left her before."

Gabe leaned through the seats, pressing a kiss against her cheek and murmuring a few supportive words in her ear, as Alex and Norma smiled at the exchange. The first time they had left Louise with Dylan and Emma, she had got up in the middle of the movie, announcing that she "felt in her heart that something bad had happened" and they needed to go home. She had been so convinced, even Alex had started to panic, feeling instantly ridiculous to burst into their home to find a startled Dylan and Emma sitting on the floor, Emma with the baby securely cuddled in her lap, Dylan with a sock puppet on his hand, which he promptly hid behind his back. Apparently only Emma was supposed to know how cutesy he was around the baby, though Alex was secretly relieved to find he wasn't the only man reduced to a baby-talking pile of goo by his baby daughter. Emma had smugly checked her watch, while Dylan looked awkward.

"27 minutes. You owe me five bucks."

So they understood Sarah's reaction, as she wiped her face, and assured them she was fine, even as she stared wistfully back at the house as they pulled away.

"They'll be fine." Alex leaned forward to tentatively pat Sarah on the shoulder.

"Yeah, Alex is right. Ray's nearly got his drug problem under control. He's actually very responsible when he's not high." Gabe said, completely deadpan, and everyone chuckled and some of the tension from the evening lifted.

Even more of the tension lifted after the boys had had a couple of glasses of wine. Sarah couldn't drink, since she was breastfeeding, and Norma had vowed to stay on the wagon with her, even as Sarah protested. It didn't seem fair to leave Sarah sober while they all drank.

"No, honestly Sarah! I don't mind! I'd rather keep my wits about me to go back to the kids."

Gabe and Alex had tried to join them, declaring that they didn't need alcohol to have a good time, but Sarah and Norma had insisted, secretly thinking it would be funnier to watch their other halves with loosened inhibitions and loosened tongues, while they remained sober.

Sarah had valiantly recovered from her tears in the taxi, only getting slightly shiny eyed during the one phone call they had allowed themselves with Ray.

"Put the phone by her. I wanna hear her breathing... Yes, I'm serious!" Alex had bit his lip to stop from giggling, as Sarah's worried face smoothed into a relieved smile when she heard her daughters peaceful breathing.

"Ok. I'm putting Norma on now."

"Hi Ray. Did she get to sleep ok?" Alex smiled at how calm his wife seemed, compared to the almost hyperventilating Sarah of a few minutes ago. "Oh... Erm, yeah. That's Paloma. It's... a long story. Yeah... I know." She laughed down the phone.

"Ok, well..." Norma seemed reluctant to hang up, casting an eye around the table for a second. "Well, just tell them we love them, in case we all die in a car accident or something on the way home." She said dramatically, and Alex nodded to himself. Norma wouldn't be Norma if she remained calm and reasonable at all times.

"Well, that was dramatic." Alex pointed out as she hung up the phone, passing it back to Sarah. She shrugged casually in response.

"Hey, if we all died, who'd get our kids?" Gabe asked thoughtfully, and Sarah smacked him on the arm.

"Gabriel! That's so morbid!"

"It's not morbid, honey. It's sensible. You gotta plan for the best, prepare for the worst."

"Ray." She said simply, taking a long gulp of water. "I'd want Ray to raise her."

None of them seemed all that perturbed to be talking about something so tragic and horrifying, and Alex wondered if it was a testament to the sort of lives they'd lived. They'd all been through so much; What was one conversation about dying when you'd been through all Norma Bates had been through?

"Who'd get Louise?" Norma mused, turning to Alex, who was tipsily staring into his wine glass.

"Dylan and Emma. I already asked him." He announced simply.

Norma's mouth flew open, as Alex glanced around at their glasses, not noticing her shocked expression. He half stood, leaning forward to grab the wine bottle, starting to top up his and Gabriel's glasses, before gallantly reaching for the water jug for Norma and Sarah.

"When?"

He didn't catch the surprise in her voice, not glancing at her, carrying on concentrating on filling up their glasses.

"Last week, when we were ring shopping. I mentioned it and he said-"

"Ring shopping?"

Alex suddenly stopped dead, slamming the wine bottle down on the table and sitting back heavily in his seat, closing his eyes and sighing heavily.

"Damn." He whispered to himself, opening his eyes to glare at his wine glass accusingly.

"Ring shopping?" Norma repeated quietly. "Is he... Are they..."

"It was supposed to be a secret." He said glumly, and Norma's hand flew to her mouth, as did Sarah's, even though she had never met the happy couple. It was just a natural Sarah reaction to happy romantic news.

"Oh my god!" Norma breathed out, trying desperately not to cry. "What did he choose? When is he gonna ask her? Are we gonna be there?"

"I told him if you weren't there, he'd never hear the end of it." He assured her. "You know the... farm he used to run, up by the lake?"

She frowned, remembering the pot farm she had so disapproved of.

"Yes?" She said warily, hoping her son hadn't fallen back in with a bad crowd again.

"Well, he's secretly been converting the building into a little house, since Emma loved it up there so much." Norma gasped. "We're invited to a family barbecue there the day after we get back, and he's going to unveil the house and propose then. And don't you dare give it away!" He warned, grabbing her hand frowning at her, as her bottom lip trembled. "No crying before we get there, or... I dunno... taking Emma for a manicure the day before. She's a bright girl. She'll guess and you'll ruin it." Norma nodded solemnly, hating that he knew her well enough to know she was already planning to take Emma for a manicure so her hands would look perfect on all the pictures.

"Ok. Ok." She agreed breathlessly, smiling helplessly around the table.

"Wow. This is so exciting!" Sarah trilled happily.

"I can't believe he took you ring shopping!" Norma grumbled, sounding a little put out to have not been invited.

"I think he just wanted to get a man's opinion on the whole thing? He's never really had a dad around, and I know he's old enough now not to need one, but I was just glad I could help... Ya know, offer some words of wisdom on marriage. That sort of thing."

He glanced up to see Norma smiling tearfully at him, and his eyes darted around the table to find Sarah and Gabe smiling at him sweetly.

"What?"

"Come here." She murmured, pulling him in to kiss him, one hand resting against his cheek, the other still tightly clutching his hand, wordlessly telling him how grateful she was to have him in their lives.

After dinner ended, Sarah had bit her lip, suggesting they go to a bar for a drink, shooting Norma a wild little look that she didn't understand. Her and Sarah weren't drinking so it seemed like an odd request, but the boys were too drunk to notice the strangeness, shooting each other little looks that said they weren't ready to go home yet.

"Sure. Maybe a quick one?" Alex had agreed, and let himself be pulled through the streets of Jupiter, towards a large building with a thudding bass booming out into the night.

"Sarah. This is a club." Alex pointed out, as they grew closer.

"No! No, no, no. It's a bar! You'll see."

Norma stopped dead as they rounded the corner, taking in the huge flashing sign above the entrance.

Renegades.

Why did that name sound so familiar? She narrowed her eyes at the club, and then glanced around the street, feeling like she'd been here before. It only took one glance at the sheepish expression on Sarah's face to figure out where they were.

"Sarah, no!" She protested, refusing to be pulled along a step further. "Come on... This is too much. I was too old the last time I came here, and I had a baby since then!"

"Nonsense!" Sarah insisted, grabbing her hand, ignoring Alex's curious expression as he looked from Norma to the club and back again, realisation crossing his face as he realised where they were.

"We've... been here before?" He clarified, memories of Norma in that absurdly short club dress crossing his mind. He glanced at her. Her dress tonight was like a grown up version of that dress, still tight and black, but longer now, a tight pencil skirt hugging her thighs, stopping just above the knee. The straps were wider, but the neckline was just as low, a square scoop neck that revealed a dangerous amount of pale cleavage that he'd barely been able to keep his eyes off during dinner.

"I mean... maybe we could stay for one drink?" She suggested casually, shrugging at Alex. Sarah squealed with delight, clapping her hands together excitedly as she tugged them both towards the pounding bass of the crowded club.

An hour later and "one drink" had turned into three, on top of the wine Gabriel and Alex had had at dinner, and Alex was feeling decidedly tipsy, perhaps even more than tipsy. He'd even danced, letting Sarah pull them all onto the dancefloor, averting his eyes as Gabe and Sarah engaged in a rather raucous display, letting his arms wrap around Norma's waist, swaying his hips in time to a song he'd never heard before. It was no secret that he was a good dancer, but Norma was always delighted when she managed to get him to loosen up enough in time to dance with her, and it would seem that Norma and Sarah didn't need any alcohol to cut a few shapes on the crowded dancefloor.

"You want another water?" He yelled to Norma over the music that he still didn't recognise, leaning in close, and she nodded back, turning to stick with Gabe and Sarah while he headed over to the bar.

There was a queue. Not even a queue really, just a mass of people covering the bar that didn't seem big enough to cope with such a volume of people. The crowd surged around him, and Alex was glad he wasn't claustrophobic, or he'd have started to panic. After what felt like an eternity, he managed to wriggle his way to the front, leaning on the bar, idly tapping his wallet against the shiny chrome rail he was pressed against.

"Hi!" A voice piped up from his right, and he glanced down to see a curvy girl with long, dyed red hair smiling at him.

"Hi." He nodded back politely, casting his gaze away from the girl.

"I'm Sofia." He glanced at her again, smiling tightly as she twisted a maroon curl around her finger, smirking at him.

"See, now you'd normally tell me your name..." She giggled at him, and he cast his gaze around uncomfortably. She was probably at least half his age, and was leaning in much too close for his liking.

"Alex..." He finally said, reluctantly, trying and failing to catch the barman's attention again.

"Ok, Alex. You wanna buy me a drink?"

"Oh... erm..." He cast around helplessly, pleased as Norma suddenly appeared out of nowhere, sliding smoothly in between Alex and Sofia, a smug smirk on her face.

"I'll take a drink." She announced simply, and before he could reply, she held out a hand to him, and he took it automatically.

"Norma. Nice to meet you." She said casually, shaking his hand, and he grinned at her, looking her up and down appreciatively.

"Pleasure, Norma. What you drinking?"

"Oh I'll have whatever you're having." She trilled leaning in close and flashing her eyes at him and she heard the girl sigh in annoyance behind her.

"Bitch." She muttered, and stalked away through the crowd, and Norma giggled, turning around to face the bar, ignoring Alex's wicked grin.

"So, do you come here often?" He asked, carrying on the game.

"No, I'm from out of town. Haven't been here for a long time." She answered wistfully, spinning on her heel as if bored by him, turning her back to him and leaning on the bar.

There was a sudden surge from the left, and he moved automatically, moving behind her, and bracing his hands either side of her on the bar, creating a little cage for her to protect her from the jostling crowd.

"What brings you to Florida?" He whispered in her ear, leaning in close. "Business... or pleasure?" He leaned his chest against her back as he spoke the last word, letting his pelvis connect with her ass as it jutted out from where she was leaning on the bar.

"Well..." She murmured, pressing herself back, more firmly against him, as his hand slid down to her hip, squeezing lightly. "I'm here with my husband so..."

"Ohhhh." He nodded knowingly, as she grasped at his hand, pulling it up to press just under her breasts, his fingers splayed out across her ribcage, pressing her ass insistently back against him, wiggling gently in time to the music. He took in a shuddering breath as she moved her hips slowly, grinding herself against him, feeling his arousal grow as he looked around, noticing that no-one in the crowded bar was paying them any attention. He let his hand slide up an inch or two, his fingers still splayed out, his thumb now gently brushing over her stiff nipple, just about poking through the flimsy fabric of her bra and her dress.

"Your husband?" She gasped as he scratched his thumbnail over the fabric of her dress, the sensation making her arch a little into his touch. His other hand wandered down to her thigh, sliding up along the curve of her hip. His hands trailed lightly up her body, eventually sweeping her hair to the side, away from her ear. He leaned in against her, letting his lips brush the shell of her ear. "So I guess you don't wanna come home with me then?"

"Oh no, no. Of course not." She mumbled out, as he pressed a soft kiss against her neck. "He'd... Ah... He'd be worried about me if I stayed out all night. He's very protective of me."

His hands shot back to her hips, grabbing them tightly as he ground himself against her, no longer caring that there were people around them.

"You should be careful." She warned quietly. "He's a cop."

Their behaviour had finally attracted some attention, drawing a few curious glances from just the two people closest to them, who had probably seen worse as regulars of this club. Nonetheless, Norma felt her cheeks burn as she noticed their eyes darting down to where Alex's hands were clutching hard at her hips.

He leaned in close again, surreptitiously sliding his hands between them to glide over her ass.

"I don't care." He whispered defiantly and she bit her lip, grinning wildly, suddenly jerking forwards away from his touch and the heat from his body. He frowned at the action, wondering if he'd gone too far.

"I er... I could use some air?" She offered, reaching behind her to take his hand, not even glancing over her shoulder as she starting pulling him through the crowd, heading towards a darkened corner that looked like a dead end.

"Norma...?"

She turned on her heel, flashing him a wicked grin, leaning back against the wall suddenly, and pulling him against her, kissing him hard, letting her hips jut forwards, pressing herself against him. There was a sudden clanking sound and she was stepping backwards, suddenly stumbling through an unseen door that she had opened behind her, stepping out into the cooler night air.

"I saw the barman take the trash out here earlier."

She tugged him outside into the darkness with her, kicking the door shut, the sounds and music of the club already quietening to a dull thudding.

He glanced around at the alleyway, frowning at the dumpster behind her, and the blaring lights from the street shining down the alley.

"And they said romance is dead?" He deadpanned, as she kissed him again, her kiss wild and reckless and all too brief, before she was pulling away, grabbing at his hand and pulling him deeper into the darkness, the bass growing quieter with each step.

"What if someone comes?" He ventured halfheartedly, as he pulled him around a corner to the darkened dead end of the alley.

"That's sort of the point." She whispered saucily, brazenly grabbing his hand and pressing it between her thighs. He pushed his fingers against her through the layers of dress and underwear, chuckling at her words as she waggled her eyebrows at him suggestively.

She reached forwards to roughly palm him through his pants for a moment, before he shoved her back suddenly, earning himself a breathy gasp as her back made contact with the wall. He trailed hard wet kisses along her jaw and down her neck, his hands sliding along the curve of her waist to rest on the swell of her hips, as she squirmed and giggled in his arms. Her hands ran through his hair, and she tipped her head back to give him better access, as his hands started inching the snug fabric of her dress up, slowly sliding it up over her thighs.

"I've missed this." He muttered out against her cheek, as tugged her dress up around her waist, slipping his hand into her underwear, smirking as he found her wet and ready.

"We..." She gasped as he rubbed small, fluttering circles against her clit, the pressure sudden and unexpected. "We... had sex yesterday." She pointed out, letting her head drop back against the wall, squirming against his touch.

His knee raised up a little, nudging her legs apart, his hand suddenly slipping out of her panties and sliding to her thigh, hitching it up to wrap around him.

"Not like this." He clarified breathlessly, as he ground himself against her. She knew exactly what he meant. Their daughter was their world, and they could never bring themselves to regret any part of her presence in their lives, but it was undeniable that, since her arrival, their love making had had to slow to a slightly more reasonable pace. Gone were the afternoons when he would rush home on his lunch break and push her into the nearest empty motel room, desperate to have her; Gone were the lazy sunday mornings when they would stay in bed half the morning, before eventually heading for round two in the shower; Gone were the frantic sessions on the couch, or in the squad car, or bent over the washing machine, making the most of the spin cycle. Instead, there were now quiet clinches in the middle of the night, biting lips to stop from making too much noise, always listening out for the pitter patter of tired little feet coming down the hall. They occasionally made it into Room 11 here and there for the odd quickie, breaking that poor wall beyond repair, but they generally accepted that they had to be a little more sensible now. Until tonight.

"Mm hmm." She nodded, before craning her head to look up and down the alley. Satisfied they were alone, she met his eyes again, grinning wickedly, as her hands slunk between them, making quick work of his zipper, shoving his pants and boxers down with eager, trembling hands. He leaned his weight against her again, clutching at her thigh, hitching it higher around him, and rubbing himself against her, feeling her damp heat through the thin fabric of her panties. Her eyes fluttered closed and he took the opportunity to reach down, hooking his hand under her other thigh and pulling her off her feet suddenly, feeling her wrap herself around him, her hands wrapping around his neck.

Holding her up with one arm, the other slid to her ass, growling in frustration at his hand skimmed over the panties he had forgotten she was wearing. Yet another sign of their maturity - Wearing underwear at all times these days.

"Can I?" He ground out as she nipped at his earlobe.

"Mm?" She muttered out in confusion, as he slid his hand through the leg of her underwear, grabbing it hard.

"Can I rip these off you?" He growled in her ear, and she shivered involuntarily at his words, glancing down at herself for a minute, responsibly making sure she wasn't wearing anything expensive, before giving a little nod. His grip on the flimsy grey lace tightened, and he tugged, twisting his fist in the fabric. She yelped as the fabric painfully dug into her hip for a split second, before the material gave way and he ripped the ruined garment from her body with a flourish, throwing it to the ground triumphantly.

Without skipping a beat, she was reaching between them, kissing him deeply, feeling him smirk against her lips as her fingers closed around him. Her other hand tightened it's grip on his shoulder, and she squeezed her thigh muscles to raise herself up a little bit.

"Don't drop me." She warned, as if he any any intention of doing so, but he reassuringly tightened his grip around her thighs, bracing more of her weight, lifting her up as she lined him up and then relaxed her leg muscles a little, sinking herself down on to him. He gave her a second to adjust, watching as her eyes fluttered closed and her head dropped back, waiting till her face relaxed before he suddenly slammed her back against the wall, tearing a shill, breathy squeak from her throat. He didn't give her a second to recover this time, bracing her weight against the wall, thrusting into her at a savage pace, his fingers digging in hard to the undersides of her thighs.

Alot of the time, he let Norma take control - He was happy to. Happy to let this glorious, fragile little creature move the way she liked, sometimes gentle, sometimes not, but today, he was in control, every hard fast thrust driving her up against the wall, forcing a breathy moan out of her.

"Yes... yes..." She whispered out frantically, her eyes fluttering closed, as she clung to him desperately, powerless to do anything but let him bring her ever closer to the edge, panting hard against his shoulder.

His pace increased, his hips snapping against hers furiously, leaning her shoulders back against the wall, a series of frantic moans now spilling from her mouth. He allowed himself a small glance over his shoulder, checking they were still definitely alone, as she grew louder and louder and, satisfied that they were, he sank his teeth gently into her neck, nipping and tugging at the sensitive flesh there, pleased with she released a desperate, trembling moan.

"Fuck." She breathed out, barely audible, and he grinned against her flesh, loving the desperate way she swore when he was inside her.

"Oh god..." She muttered, her cries quieting to frantic, quiet little sobs for a second, biting her lip as she held her breath, her face contorting with concentration. He felt her begin to tighten around him, her chest heaving hard as she started to let out a scream into the deserted alley, before there was a sudden sound of a door opening around the corner, mere feet away from them. His hand flew to her mouth, pressing against her, cutting off her cry, his movements stilling as the sounds of music and the bustle of people suddenly spilled out to them. He was still for only a second, before, as silently as he could, he carried on bucking up into her, letting her ride out her orgasm, her eyes fluttering closed, biting down hard onto his hand to muffle the shaky moan she couldn't help.

"Shhh." He whispered frantically, his eyes darting behind him, to the sliver of light peeking around the corner, listening to the sounds of footsteps echoing down the alleyway, the sound of a garbage bag rustling as it was carried to the dumpster. She panted, her breaths coming short and hard as he slowed his pace to a stop, feeling her internal muscles still twitching around him. Her body sagged, her trembling limbs no longer strong enough to cling to him anymore.

She slid a few inches down the wall, before his hand dropped from where it had been pressed against her mouth, tightening his grip around her, catching her as she slumped against him. Both hands shot out to grab weakly at his jacket. Alex was no weak man, but even he had his limits, and his muscles shook from the exertion of trying to hold her up when she no longer had the strength to assist him.

In the distance behind them, the door slammed shut and they were in darkness once more, the silence hanging between them for a moment, before he bent his knees, slipping out of her and depositing her shaking feet back on the floor. She trembled for a second, her knees still weak, her breaths still coming fast, her eyes flickering open to find him smirking at her.

"I could watch you all day." He muttered sexily, kissing her deeply, his hands stroking down the curve of her waist.

She smiled against his lips, pulling back and casting her eyes down, raising a pointed eyebrow at him, before he spun her roughly, the unexpected action making her gasp. Her cheek made contact with the cold brick wall as he pressed a hand against the centre of her back, bending her forward a little and surging back inside her without another word.

"Ah!" She breathed out a surprised little moan and he faltered, leaning his chest against her back, brushing his lips against her ear lobe.

"Ok?" He muttered, and she nodded, reaching behind her to grasp the back of his head, letting her fingers run through his hair.

"Yeah." She whispered, and jerked her hips back a little against him, letting him know she was fine. She hadn't had a panic attack for years; The terror she had once felt over the memories that being intimate could stir up was long gone, officially vanquished after that horrible night in their kitchen. But that didn't stop him checking in with her every now and again, sometimes needing to clarify that a little gasp when he did something unexpected was just surprise, not fear, or that a tremble running through her body was pleasure, not echoes of some distant painful memory. She was always fine, but she was always touched when he paused, on those rare occasions, his concern for her taking priority over his own pleasure.

His hands slid along the curve of her waist, coming to rest on the swell of her hips, his fingers hooking around her, holding her tightly while he set up a frantic rhythm. It felt like an age since they had stumbled out into the alley and his body ached for his own release, his hips snapping back and forth mercilessly, her fingers splaying out against the wall as she braced herself, pushing back, meeting each thrust.

One hand slid from her hip, brushing over her hand on the wall, grabbing it and pushing it between her thighs and she obliged immediately. He left his hand draped loosely over hers for a second, marvelling at the way her fingers deftly danced over her clit in some complicated dance.

After years together, he had a pretty good idea of what Norma liked, and he prided himself on the pleasure he was able to bring her. However, he was not a proud man, and, when time was of the essence, nobody knew what Norma Romero liked better than Norma Romero. His hand left hers, leaving her to her ministrations, resting on her hip again, his fingers digging in hard to her soft flesh there as he ploughed into her, watching as she rested her forehead against the wall, sighing out a series of moans at the ground.

He closed his eyes, tipping his head back, biting his lip as his whole body trembled with the effort of holding back, listening to her soft sighs increase in volume. Knowing he needed it, she brought herself to climax quickly and he'd never been so grateful, breathing out a sigh of relief, as her fingers fluttered to a rough, speedy crescendo, her breaths hitching for a second. There was a silence for a moment, only the soft slapping of his hips against her ass echoing around the alley, before she let out a shaky sob, her fingers stilling, flying out to brace herself against the wall again as he erratically thrust up into her a few more times, spilling out into her with a tortured groan. His fingers dug in almost painfully to her hips as he pushed her roughly up against the wall with a couple of last desperate thrusts, letting his head drop, resting his forehead against the back of her head.

The lavender of her shampoo filled his nostrils and he nuzzled against the soft strands, letting out a breathless, happy chuckle into her hair, his hands wrapping around her, pulling her flush against his chest, feeling their hearts beat wildly as one. His hands stroked up and down her sides, triumphantly still feeling her body tremble and shiver, her legs shaking like a new born deer as she leaned heavily against the wall, puffing out satisfied little pants at the floor.

"We should do this more often." He muttered, and she giggled, the sound vibrating through both their bodies.

"Romance really is dead." She confirmed.

"Where have you two been?" Gabe asked, almost the second they got back inside, and they glanced guiltily at each other.

"Erm... the bar." He said shiftily.

"Getting some air." She spoke at the same time as him and they both closed their eyes awkwardly.

When they opened them, Gabe was pressing his lips together, his eyes flashing knowingly at Alex, and he chuckled before jerking his head towards the door.

"Come on. Sarah's separation anxiety finally back full force. We've been lucky she lasted as long as she did. I'd be moderately surprised if she hasn't gone home without us."

They emerged from the club to see Sarah wringing her hands together nervously, throwing her hands up in exasperation as they appeared.

"Finally! I was about to go home without you!" She snapped, and Gabe turned to grin at them.

"Where have you been?" She demanded, and Gabe stepped close to her, leaning in close.

"Norma and Alex were at the bar or possibly getting some air." He said both options with invisible quotation marks in his voice, teasing them as they both blushed.

"Oh." She said simply, and then her eyes widened, and she glanced at them, letting her eyes rake over them. Norma's hair was sticking out wildly in all directions, and Sarah wondered if she was aware of the angry bite mark blossoming on her neck, while Alex's shirt was hanging half untucked from his pants, his lips smeared with a faint hint of coral lipstick that really wasn't his colour.

"Ohhhh..." She added knowingly, winking at them, as they glanced at other, both of them selfconsciously trying to neaten up their appearances.

"No, no." Norma protested weakly, her cheeks flaming red with embarrassment. "It's not-"

"See! I told you!" Sarah said suddenly cutting her off and turning her attention to Gabe.

"Told me what, beloved?" He said distractedly, as he scanned the street for a free taxi.

"I told you!" She repeated pointedly. "Theirs is four and they just had sex in a club! Even we've never had sex in a club!"

"We didn't-" Alex started unconvincingly, but Gabe held up a hand, as if deeply offended by her words.

"It's not a competition, honey!" He said incredulously, holding his hand out to hail a passing cab.

"I know!" She sounded like a petulant child, as she got into the front seat and then twisted round to carry on their slightly mortifying conversation.

"But I'm just saying - You have nothing to worry about." She directed her words to Gabe, who looked embarrassed. Alex tipsily gazed between them in confusion.

"Worry about what?" Alex asked, and then immediately regretted asking, as Norma swung out a hand to flick him in annoyance. She just wanted the conversation to be over, and to take a shower, and to never talk about this with her brother in law and his wife again.

Sarah twisted around further in her seat to fix him with a gossipy grin, as the car lurched towards home.

"All of our friends with babies have got sick of each other." She announced dramatically. "And this one was worried that we were gonna go the same route."

She flicked her head to Gabe, who held his hands up in mock defiance.

"Now now. I didn't say that. I'm not gonna get sick of you." He said sincerely, reaching past the headrest to tenderly tuck an errant blonde curl behind her ear. "I just... as soon as we had Theresa, all our friends starting telling us how things were going to change now."

"Things do change." Norma nodded, before noticing their stricken faces. "Not for the worse though." She added quickly, and Alex reached over to grasp her hand, the movement not unnoticed by Gabe and Sarah. Their faces softened.

"Someone else comes first now." Alex pipes up. "But if your friends got sick of each other, then they probably weren't that great to start with?" He ventured, before turning to smile giddily at Norma.

She grinned back, and he raised their entwined hands to his face, pressing a soft kiss against her knuckles.

"Me? I'm more in love with her now than I've ever been." Their eyes remained locked for a second as they smiled dreamily at each other, before an exaggerated retching sound from the front seat broke the spell, and they turned to see Sarah rolling her eyes at them.

"Wow! Thought you were a Sheriff, not a poet?" Sarah teased from the front, while Gabe chuckled from next to them.

"Yeah, seriously honey? Why are we asking people who had sex in a club's toilets for romance advice?" He agreed, laughing as both their mouths dropped open in embarrassment.

"We didn't have sex in the toilets!" Norma blurted out, and Gabe roared with laughter, hearing in her voice that the only part that wasn't true was the "in the toilets" part. She smacked Alex hard in the ribs suddenly, as if imploring him to do something, as Sarah joined in the giggling, but he was helpless to protest, not able to stop the chuckle that escaped along with them.

By the time they pulled up to the house, even Norma was giggling quietly, even as she pretended to still be offended.

The laughter died off as the car stopped and Alex paid the driver as they all eagerly spilled out, excited to see the babies they'd only be separated from for a few hours.

"Now, Sarah...?" Gabe grasped Sarah's hand as she started sprinting up the drive. "I know our baby is perfect..." He started, noticing Norma glaring childishly at him. "BOTH of our babies are perfect, of course." He corrected himself, and Norma's glare softened.

"But we mustn't have a breakdown when we see her, ok?"

The door had been open for all of about three seconds before Gabe ignored his own advice, pushing roughly past Sarah to sprint into the living room, skidding to a halt as he took in the scene in front of him.

Ray was asleep in the middle of the sofa, his legs outstretched on the coffee table, Theresa resting on his chest, while Louise had nuzzled her head against his shoulder, sucking her thumb. All three of them were sound asleep, Ray with his head flopped back, his mouth hanging open, his hand protectively wrapped around the sleeping baby on this chest, protecting her even in his sleep.

Gabriel was scooping the baby out of his hands, excitedly pulling his daughter against his chest, not even bothering to pretend he hadn't missed her, when Ray stirred lightly, reaching for Theresa half asleep.

"Hmm?" He murmured, confused, glancing around the room to see all four of them staring down at him with smiles on their faces.

"Oh hey guys? You're back early. You have fun?" They all cast their eyes to the big clock on the wall, raising their eyebrows at how not-early it was.

"Huh... Well, turns out I'm not as young as I used to be. Guess looking after the kiddos took it out of me?" He sounded disappointed in himself, for falling asleep on the job, but none of them really minded, understanding how tiring their kids could be separately, let alone together.

"Understandable." Norma assured him, crouching down to brush a caramel tendril out of Louise's face, watching as she stirred unhappily in her sleep. She cast her gaze to the floor for a second, looking troubled for a brief moment. "A newborn and a four year old can be tough..."

"Hey sweetie. Let's get you to bed, ok?"

"Mm.. k." She murmured sweetly, holding out her arms weakly, and Norma obliged, scooping the little girl up with a small grunt.

"Goodnight guys." She whispered, turning to nod at them, watching as Gabe and Sarah barely looked up from taking in the sleeping baby in their arms. She remembered that phase well - Every hour away felt like a lifetime, and when you returned, it was like you couldn't get enough of them. She couldn't blame them for feeling like they just needed to stare at the sleeping babe in Gabe's arms a while.

"Thanks again, Ray."

"Anytime darlin'." He nodded graciously at her, even as he rose from the couch unsteadily, stretching out his aching muscles.

"Wait!" Louise protested sleepily, and Norma halted, half turning back.

"Goodnight Uncle Ray. Goodnight Uncle Gabe. Goodnight Auntie Sarah." She said politely, albeit half asleep, her eyes remaining mostly closed as she spoke. They all smiled at her words, returning the sentiment, with Sarah rushing over to plant a soft little kiss on her forehead.

"Goodnight sweetie. You wanna go to the lighthouse tomorrow? It's pretty cool?" She singsonged.

"Yay!" Louise murmured, before her eyes fluttered shut and she sagged heavily in Norma's arms. Alex rushed forward, sliding his hands under his daughter, taking her weight from Norma and cradling her against his chest.

"Thanks for tonight, guys." Norma nodded at them, watching as Sarah leaned her head gently against Gabe's shoulder. "And... I don't think you have anything to worry about." She added, raising her eyebrows at them pointedly, and they smiled happily at each other.

"We know." Gabriel nodded in agreement, and they both turned their attention back to their daughter, as Norma, Alex and Louise started up the stairs.

"I need to take a quick shower." She muttered, when they got into the guest room, feeling very acutely aware of the stickiness between her thighs now her infant daughter was in the room with them, her cheeks burning. They were parents. What were they thinking, behaving like that? And yet, as she watched Alex settle on the bed, still cuddling their child in his arms, wincing as he sat, his muscles clearly aching from their evening, she couldn't bring herself to regret a second of it. They could be parents AND exhibitionists. No-one said they had to choose.

She returned from her shower, feeling much more like herself, and more prepared to share a room with their child now, stopping dead in the doorway. Alex was lying back on the pillows, fully dressed, sound asleep, with Louise curled up to the side of him, her tiny fist wrapped in his own hand against his chest.

Silently, she padded over to the bed, flicking the light off and laying down on his other side, leaning down to grab the quilt from the bottom of the bed and wrap it around them. He stirred, his eyes fluttering open as she snuggled against him, nuzzling her head against his shoulder, feeling his arm naturally wrap around her.

"Mm.." He muttered. "Gimme a sec. I'll put her in the cot." He went to move, but she wrapped an arm around him, holding him still.

"Don't." She protested. Gabe and Sarah had set up a little cot right next to their bed, complete with unicorn sheets that Norma suspected Sarah might have already had, but Norma was just too comfortable right now. "Let's just let her stay with us tonight?"

Although Alex spoiled Louise rotten, he was usually against unnecessarily baby-ing her, wanting her to be the independent woman her mother was, but once in a while, he couldn't say no, and he wrapped the blanket more firmly around Louise, feeling her snuggle against him, her little fingers splaying out against his chest.

"Mommy?" A tiny voice whispered, sounding 90% asleep.

"Yes sweetie?" Norma's voice came from across Alex's steadily rising and falling chest, her hand reaching out blindly to cover Louise's.

"I had peach cobbler for dinner but Ray said not to tell."

Alex barked out a tired little laugh that segued into a yawn.

"Well that's ok once in a while. We're on vacation."

"Ok, good." She muttered, before her breathing evened out again, apparently satisfied her conscience was now clear, falling back into a deep sleep.

"I hope this honest streak lasts well into her teen years." Alex mused, his hand absent stroking up and down Norma's arm, his nails trailing lightly along her back.

"Mmm." Norma murmured, not wanting to think about that just yet.

There was silence for a long time, while Norma mulled something over, and Alex yawned again.

"Alex? You're not sick of me yet are you?" She queried thoughtfully, and he huffed out a little laugh.

"Not quite yet."

"No plans to get sick of me in the immediate future?"

"Not the immediate future, no." He deadpanned.

"Why do you ask?" He whispered, as Louise stirred in her sleep, making a soft little noise.

"No reason. Just thinking about what Gabe said..." She muttered non-commitally, as she curled her free hand around her stomach, splaying her fingers out against her tummy, feeling a small smile playing on her lips. She'd tell him tomorrow.

She bit her lip, turning to look at him through the darkness, staring at 'the Romero eyelashes' fanned out against his cheek, wanting to tell him now, the words on the tip of her tongue, managing to stop herself. Perhaps the lighthouse tomorrow? She smiled broadly to herself, realising that would be the perfect place.

"Gabe and Sarah were being absurd." He assured her, mistaking her concerns. "They're being dramatic. They're perfect for each other. Having a baby isn't going to change that."

Her hand drifted from where it had been affectionately rubbing her stomach, to press over his own hand where it was resting against his chest.

"I'm sure it'll all turn out okay in the end."

"You think so? You think it's all gonna be okay?" Her mind drifted back to her news, as he pulled her close, pressing a kiss to her forehead, just as Louise nuzzled closer to her father in her sleep.

"Kind of. Yeah, I do."

The end.

So... it's over. How we all doing? I won't lie. I'm an emotional wreck! I've LOVED writing this story! I've LOVED creating this world! I've LOVED reading all your reviews and interacting with all of you.

Thank you, thank you, thank you for all your reviews, and tweets, and direct messages and to everyone who told me they'd recommended this fic to their friends! It means SOOOOOOO much, you seriously have no idea! I never expected this reaction, and reading super long reviews, and engaging with people on twitter and just hearing how much people liked my writing has made me SO, SO happy. :) I seriously love this fandom. The response has been incredible and I've made SUCH good friends through this fandom and I just really can't thank you enough!

There will DEFINITELY be more to come from me, so if you liked Fragile Bird, please add me to your Author alerts, and add me on twitter if you haven't already geneharl0w. I post sneak peaks, and just generally chat shit so follow me. :)

Thank you again for all your support for this fic. In some ways, this fic was very personal to me, and very close to my heart, and I just... I can't thank you guys enough for being SO kind and wonderful. Love you all... 3

-Genie xxxx


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